Holy %$#@!

This post has been rated PG for language

We were outside this afternoon before supper. I was barbecuing, the boys were running around and Amber was trying to organize some of our larger yard toys so the yard is more usable. Daniel comes around the corner saying, "Mommy needs you."

So I come and she's standing over our uninflated inflatable wading pool and said, shockingly calmly, "There are stinkbugs all over the shed, the sprinkler is covered with slugs, and I found a tarantula." Well, Amber despises bugs and has a tendency to overreact and exaggerate when she sees them. I've been called to take care of "tarantulas" before that were just fairly big brown house spiders. I came over, expecting to see a somewhat large bug.

In the rain water collected in the corner of the rubber pool there was a spider. It was completely underwater and not moving, but its body was a light green, and it looked like a very large peeled grape with long, thick, hairy legs. Seriously, if this bug was on Survivor, the castaways would have sat down with a carving knife, hats with buckles, and given thanks for such a bountiful feast.

In my surprise, I blurted out, "Holy crap!" before I realized that Daniel had followed me and was standing right behind me, almost attached to my leg. He of course saw the bug and with perfect pronunciation, inflection, and emotion, repeated my exclamation in a somewhat higher octave.

Amber says, "Daniel, don't say that." He does again.

I've heard stories of small children who learn to swear and when the adults laugh, they are encouraged to do it again and again, in increasingly more inappropriate places and situations.

I calmly turn and say "Daniel, that's not a nice word. You shouldn't say that."

And he didn't. Maybe he got distracted by something else. Maybe he's saving it for a better time. But maybe he understood and will try not to say bad words. He hears everything we say and stores it away to bring out later. I hope I can fill him with more good things than bad from now on.