Profanity

These crazy kids keep telling on each other for using vulgar language. Last night we had a conversation regarding a bad word that Gavin may or may not have used. It went something like this:

L-Mommy, Gavin said the "s" word today.
Me-Gavin, is that true?
G-No.
L-Yes you did, Gavin.
Me- Didn't you tell on Emma yesterday for using the "s" word? (word in reference here is stupid)
G-I didn't say it.
L-You said the "s-w-" word.

Gavin got really quiet and looked down, seeming totally guilty and ashamed, almost ready to cry. All the while, I was a little confused. I was searching my brain for what the word could possibly be, and could not for the life of me figure it out.

Me- I have no idea what word you're talking about.
L-It starts with s-w
Me-I'm still not following you.
L (whispers as she spells)- s-w-a-r-e
Me- What? He said the word "swear?"
L- yes, like, "I swear.."
Me- That's not really a bad word. Also, it's s-w-e-a-r. But, just to clarify, if you know a word is a bad word, don't use it. If you think it's a bad word, don't use it. If you're not sure whether or not it's a bad word, don't use it.

This morning, Emma was talking to Mike.

E-Daddy, Jonna says the "f" word at school. And so does Jaylon.
Mike- Really.
E- Yeah. It starts with an "f" and ends with "art"

Still innocent

I overheard this from the basement:

E- Gavin, did you fart.
G-No. I'm telling on you for saying the "f" word!

I guess he was too busy to tattle, because he never came upstairs.

Later the same evening, Gavin informed me of this...

G-Mommy, Emma said the "s" word today.
E- No I didn't!
G- Yes you did!
Me- What word are you referring to?
G- I can't say it. But, it's the "s-t" word.
Me- What?
G- (Gavin comes up to me, cups his hand around my ear and whispers) STUPID

Kissing Up

The kids stayed up past their bedtime tonight, so they were deprived of the nightly backrub. Emma tried to convince daddy to give her the backrub...

Emma-please!?!
Daddy- No
Emma- Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty please!?!?!?!
Daddy-No
Emma- You look very handsome, Daddy.

God works in mysterious ways

Gavin asks a lot of questions about God.

Not too long ago, I was unloading bags of groceries from the car. One of the handles of a bag broke as I was carrying it into the house. The contents spilled all over the sidewalk. I was obviously frustrated with the situation.

Gavin asked:
Did God make that happen?

A preview of teenage years to come

Recently, I've noticed a certain 3 children challenging my authority and opinions along with many of the decisions I make.

The other day, I was getting a snack ready and the kids were playing outside. The door was open, so I could hear what they were doing in the backyard. And, boy, could I ever hear them. They were playing some sort of game, pretending they were hurt. With all the screaming, I was worried about what the neighbors might think. I went outside and said:

Hey, you guys, stop all the screaming. The whole neighborhood can hear you.

Gavin responded- How do you know?

Hello! What do you mean, how do I know. I'm your mother. I know everything.

Lilah responds to requests she doesn't like with..."Why can't I just..."

Example:

Me- You can go outside after you clean up your room.
L- Why can't I just clean it after I go outside?

Gavin adds a "but Mommy,..." when things aren't corresponding to his wishes.
Example:
It's time for bed. Get your pj's on.

But Mommy, why can't I have just one more book?

Emma is pretty cooperative most of the time. Sometimes, though, when things don't go her way, she stars in her own drama show. She'll go to her room and throw herself on the bed and sob into her pillow. I've actually caught her peeking up around her pillow to see if anyone is watching. When she realizes this behavior doesn't get the results she's looking for, she moves on to something else.

Interpreting the world

A conversation on our way to music class- (Gavin noticed a man smoking while sitting on a bench)

G-Mommy, why is that man smoking?
Me- I don't know, but it's bad for him.
E- You should only smoke if it's really cold outside.
Me- Well, you should never smoke. It's bad for you, and it doesn't have anything to do with warming a person up.
G-Why did God even invent smoking?
E- Why did God invent fire?
Me- Well, fire is good for many reasons.
G- The sun is made of fire and gases. How does the sun stay up in the sky anyway?
E- I know! It stays up there with a giant string.

Inquiring mind

G- Mommy, when you're dead, do you feel anything?
Me- I don't know. I've never been dead.
G- When you're dead can you tell me that?
Me- I don't think I'll be able to, since I'll be dead.
G- Ok, then, when I'm dead I'll know.