can't find the right word exactly

My boys and their words.....they can be so funny. Or not.

This week, out of the blue, I am working on Christmas cards when Bennett enters the room and says, "You're sexy", followed by a slew of giggles.

My first reaction--shock. My second--I want to laugh. Third--I try to get it together so I can address the fact that sexy is a word no four-year old should use, or even know for that matter.

"Excuse me, son? You don't use that word. That is a grown-up word, and you do not even know what that means."

"My gonna be a woman and be sexy." The laughing is now uncontrollable.

My voice gets louder, "Bennett, you are NOT to use a word that you do not understand what it means. That is a grown up word. Don't say that again."

Well, if you know Bennett, you know that he did say it again. If you know me, you know he was disciplined for it.

I know the moment something becomes forbidden, its appeal skyrockets. I kept thinking about this as I gave Bennett strict instructions not to use it. I wondered, "What can I get him to say instead?" I couldn't think of a word then, and I still can't. It seems the ONLY words that make him giggle are potty words.

Like the other day, for example. He was watching the San Diego Chargers game, and they were blowing the game. All of a sudden, out of the blue, Bennett says, "They suck!"

"Excuse me? No sir, we do not use that word. You can say, 'They stink'."

Bennett begins to laugh heartily. "They suck."

"Okay, I am going to have to discipline you," I assure him.

"No, no, no, Mom.....NO!!!!!" And the protesting begins.

To be honest, the hardest part about disciplining Bennett is that I am trying so hard not to laugh (as is Paul, who is worse than I am in trying to hold it together when the boys say something inappropriate). I think this week alone Paul and I have held our breaths on three different occasions to keep from laughing. And Bennett is so onto us. He can just feel when we want to laugh, which only encourages him to keep at it to see how long it takes either of us to lose our composure.

I don't remember Anderson having a so-called potty mouth, which makes sense because Anderson is so much like his dad (who also doesn't have a potty mouth). And Bennett is so much like.......me. Yep, makes perfect sense.

But I did ask Anderson, after the "sexy" incident, where Bennett learned that word. After all, one of the few challenges I have found from having children almost 8 years apart is that the younger one always learns things before the first child did, and often they are things they are not ready to learn just yet. Anyway, Anderson said, "He learned it from Shrek, Mom. You know, at the end of the movie where they have 'Far, Far Away Idol'? They sing that song (he starts singing), "I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts. I'm immortal, you know what I mean."

"Wait, Anderson. What did you just sing? I'm immortal?"

He smiles, "That's not the right word, is it?"

"No, honey. It's 'I'm a model.'"

We both laughed hysterically. And this time, I didn't have to try to hold my breath.