This story took place about thirty years ago. I'd taken my boys to Tampa to visit their grandparents and great grandparents. As we drove the long weary miles through South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, I discussed with the boys (ages 3 and 8, as I recall) what kind of behavior would be expected of them in suburban Tampa -- no running around naked, no peeing outside, yes ma'am and yes sir to their elders and then there were certain words not to use. . .
Now this was foolish on my part. The boys didn't use 'bad' language at that tender age. But I knew they'd heard it so I just wanted to make sure they understood the rules.
One morning as the boys and I were having breakfast with my grandparents, the three year old, angelic little Justin, his spoonful of cereal half-way to his mouth, fixed me with a solemn gaze and and said, quite clearly, "We don't say 'shit.'
22 comments:
Out of the mouth of babes ...I love it!
What a beautiful flower garden you grow, and you spin a good 'yarn' - a gotcha- sense of humor. Loved it.
cheers,
joanny
bless him!
Literally laugh out loud funny. Priceless.
This gave us a good chuckle, Vicki. Kids are priceless, aren't they?
That is way too funny Vicki, although at the time I bet you simply could have slipped under the table!
That is just plain sweet! Love it.
Love it! That's hilarious!! Have you ever done a post about that time you slid off the road and went in the ditch? While we're in storytelling mode, on a cold winter's day, I request that one!! Even though I already know it... I want to hear it again!! :) Thanks for the flower photos, they were like a breath of fresh air to my soul. A breath of WARM air...
Yes, I'm really tired of white myself.. and slick roads... This morning is just brutal, with the wind. Hope the power doesn't go out.
Love the daylilies. Do you know the name of the yellow one? It looks like it would be fragrant. Ah, summer...
Cute story. "Shit" is just about the strongest word I ever use. I remember once, when my daughter was just a toddler, I dropped something in the middle of the kitchen floor, and she innocently asked, "are you going to say 'shit' Mommy?"
I see that you included "dookie" in your lovely poem yesterday. Than was my Granny's favorite. I always thought it was a good term for the extra-smelly variety.
Stay safe and warm!
Oh, leave it to the kids. I bet your folks got a big kick out of that one.
Thanks for a great little story to get me laughing this morning. What little ones will say is priceless.
I'm thinking the gift isn't just in knowing how to set-up a good story but in knowing the perfect place to end it.
Been there (on a different coast), your words took me back. Thanks!
Deborah....who thinks memories ARE like pictures of flowers on a winter’s day.
Oh, out of the mouths of babes! Thank you greatly for the smile this morning and the pictures of the lillies and coneflowers. Exactly what I needed in the dead of winter. It is important to remember these stories, to write them down and put them in the baby books!
Maybe you should have given him the list of all the OTHER words to use instead. You would have been in Tampa in no time, with your foot pressed down on the accelerator!
Coming up tomorrow, Brenda!
I don't know the exact name of the daylily, Phyllis, except that it's a spider daylily and yes, it's fragrant!
The word dookie was new to me when we moved to the mountains. In my house, it's also used for Duke fans -- as in, look at those crazy dookies all painted blue and yelling.
Yep, a little humor is a good thing. Especially when it continues to snow. . .
We're cloaked in snow here again.
As beautiful as it is, thank you for the glory of your flowers!
And the laugh at your story.
You can always trust a child to drop you right in it.
with the purest of motives, of course.
Vicki -- Can relate to your son's action -- have a grandson like that -- cute as a bug but unexpected words fall from his mouth while giving you a look of innocent. -- barbara
...classic. So love that. Did the grandparents laugh? I hate it when people say "God". I taught my children not to use it as slang. Guess what what my father-in-laws favorite word peppered throughout conversation is?. He's a good man, just in the of saying "God" a lot. When my kids were little, their eyes did POP! They often looked at me, but I just quietly shook my head back and forth. ... We are getting ready to hunker down for the snow we are expecting here near Greensboro... I wouldn't mind a lazy snow day at home!
Margaret -- Fortunately my grandmother was quite deaf and my grandfather was crunching cornflakes and neither appeared to notice the horrified look on my face.
This same grandfather once rebuked me for saying 'Oh lord!'
I have to plead guilty to saying omg a lot. But when I write it, it's with a lower case g -- if that makes any difference. A bad habit, I know.
One day, when my daughter was about 5, the car wouldn't start when it came time to take her to kindergarten. DD said, "Well, hell!" My eyes and mouth flew open wide, and I asked her where she ever heard that expression--and wasn't too surprised when she answered with my sister-in-law's name.
So we sat down and went over the list of words she wasn't to say, and a simple explanation of why.
All was well until a few days later I heard her quoting along with the movie War Games, "Hold the G--D--- door!"
Even more horrified, I yelled her name. Her eyes filled with tears as she said, "But Mommy, that wasn't on the list." She was right. It just never occurred to me to list that one.
Makes me smile from ear to ear-I bet it does you too-now.
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