The Phrase of the Day

Four seems to be the age when kids try out all the great words and phrases that they learn at school. (Yeah, they hear these things at school... NOT at home...)



Before four, Molly would repeat things, but mostly just like a parrot. This is how we picked up, "See ya, wouldn't want to be ya" and "What's kickin', chicken?" But now, she's trying words in context... and (I think) looking for what reaction she'll get.



Molly has tried "stupid" at me only once. She's also tried "butt," "booty," and (now that I think about it) lots of other bathroom-related words. She also has whipped out the occasional, "Mommy, I will NOT do that," which I've promptly shut down.



So, I'm loading Molly in the van this morning and she starts to buckle herself in. (This is a new accomplishment, of which she's VERY proud.) Imagine my surprise when I hear, "Holy Jesus!" from the backseat.



(I think there were some words after that... but they were blacked out as my brain hit automatic TiVo rewind.)



"What did you say, Molly?" I asked, trying to look appropriately stern and not show that I was giggling under my breath.



"Um... I don't know."



"Where did you hear that, sweetie?"



And then Molly starts to cry - her reaction any time she thinks she's disappointed us.



Really - there are lots of words that can be directly attributed to me (especially ginormous) but I really have no clue where she picked up this little phrase...

Shame on You!

Scene: Mommy is drawing Molly's bath... Daddy and Molly head upstairs for bathtime after watching a little American Idol.

Molly: Mommy, Simon said a bad word on the TV to Kris... Let me whisper it to you in your ear.

Mommy (not sure where this is going...): Um, ok...

Molly: He said.... stupid.

Mommy: He did NOT!

Molly: Yes, he did. He should have to leave the competition.

I Just Hope Tigger Isn’t Next...

Originally written: April 5, 2008

In Molly’s class at school, they are learning rhyming words. This on the tail of reading Fox in Socks about 20 times…So she’s getting really good at rhyming.

“Mommy – flower and glower. Do those rhyme?”

“Well, yes – they rhyme. But glower isn’t really a word.”

“Ok – flower and power and gower.”

“Gower?

So one afternoon we’re headed out to lunch, and Molly is trying out some new rhyming words as we’re getting into the van.

“Yuck and truck and duck and….”

Yep – you guessed it. She correctly rhymed yuck with that word.

Aaron looked at me. Under my breath I muttered, “Don’t react. Just let it go.”

Then, as if she’s genetically disposed to LOVING the sound of that word, she hit it again. “Yuck and f!@#$... and f%^&*… and f%^%&^!”

Ok, so maybe we need to say something.

Daddy quickly said, “Molly, you can say yuck but not that other word. It’s not a nice word that we use.” She said “ok,” and that was it.

Later that afternoon, we’re playing sidewalk chalk and Molly scrapes her finger. Yes, that finger. She comes to show me her boo-boo… and ends up giving me a full-blown bird.

Great – my baby is dropping f-bombs and giving me the bird.

I felt compelled to e-mail Molly’s teachers and explain that she really doesn’t know what that word or gesture mean… because wherever would she learn that? But just in case she starts rhyming words or showing off boo-boos in class, consider yourself warned.