Just Dessert

Kyle is the kind of boy who won't take "No" for an answer. When I told him that we didn't have any dessert and that I had no plans to make anything, he took it upon himself. After rummaging through the cupboards and banging around in the kitchen, he proudly served up his concoction. Afterward, deciding that this recipe was worth sharing with others, Kyle wrote it down and made copies to distribute to his teacher and friends at school. We hope you enjoy this original recipe!

I Swear

At the end of 2009, I received an envelope from Kyle's school bus company. In it I was surprised to find a citation for misbehavior on the bus. I was especially surprised to see what was marked:

I couldn't believe it. Profanity!?! I couldn't imagine my Kyle using big-boy bad words. Are we already at that stage of childhood? I was really scared to keep reading. What did he say? And to whom? I began ordering all the swear words in my head from least offensive to most offensive and tried to figure out where Kyle may have landed on the scale. My heart sank as I mourned the inevitable loss of innocence of my seven year old. I was so NOT ready for this stage of parenthood.

I took a deep breath, steeled myself and prepared for the worst as I turned to the section detailing the offense. Here it what it said.

(Warning: this next section contains a remark that is profane and/or offensive)

What?!? "Dumb-Dumb Poopy Head"? Are you serious? I tried so hard not to laugh, especially because Kyle was standing right next to me. It was difficult because I was so relieved and needed an outlet for the all tension I was holding in. I was so happy to read those four words! I wanted to dance around and sing "Dumb-Dumb Poopy head" over and over at the top of my lungs. Instead, I took a few deep breaths and attempted my most serious face for a talk about appropriate language and how our choice of words make others feel.

Later that night, after giggling my way through an explanation to Marc (out of Kyle's earshot) we met as a family and decided to make a New Year's resolution to clean up our language. We instituted a fine jar to help us. As you can see, the words are quite sophisticated:

And since it's inception, not only has the taboo list grown, but there is a lot more silver at the bottom of the jar! Here's to a healthy, happy, and, especially for our family, a clean 2010. Happy New Year!