Thursday, January 7, 2010

Please excuse the profanity in this post...

...but I need to use it in order to tell this tale accurately.

If you've read my blog before you know I rarely use any bad words but in this case I really need to, so please excuse me if you find this post offensive.

So...

Yesterday morning I was driving our three year old granddaughter to preschool and she kept giggling in the car.

I asked her what was funny and she said "is secret, Gamma" and refused to tell me.

After I picked her up it and we started driving it started up again.

And since we had to do a quick errand we were in the car a little longer then our usual five minute commute.

I kept watching her in the rearview mirror and she would look out the window and just start cracking up.

And finally I asked her again and she blurted out, "Gamma, the trees are NAKED!"

Huh?

I looked to where she was pointing and the leaves had fallen off several of the trees. You know...we're in the midst of our twelve minute Autumn season here in the desert.

And I was trying to tell her how trees loose their leaves and why but she just kept giggling.

So I asked her why she was laughing so much over the trees being "naked" and she replied, "I not tell you Gamma. Is a bad word!"

Huh?

But after the next round of giggling she finally told me what was so funny.

"Don't tell my Mom I said a bad word Gamma! Look! Look! You can see the trees BUTTS!" and she continued to crack-up immensely. "Mo, what do you mean you can see the trees butts?"

"Oh Gamma! I telling Mom on you! I telling! You said a bad word!"

Geez.

All the way down to pick up her sisters after school she kept yelling in her little high-pitched voice, "NAKED TREE! NAKED TREE!"

Which is actually pretty cute but I'm still puzzled over the whole trees having BUTTS thing.

And I'm also just a teensy bit worried she's going to tell my daughter-in-law on me!

Sigh.

44 comments:

angelina la dawn said...

so cute! {and thanks for the warninf about all the profanity- you went crazy!}

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

I know this post is cute and funny, and am sure no one but I, will say anything else, in comments here.

But............

Why is it necessary to teach children that some words are "bad words"? And why do we find it necessary to teach children that some "names of things" are "bad"?

Wouldn't it make more sense to simply label everything, by its proper name? Without any "bad" connotation?

As your little story shows --- All this stuff of indoctrinating children with "bad" this and "bad" that, only makes they snicker and giggle. Probably they do this, until they are worn down by adult harping on such topics. Then the poor little kids are set for a life-time of feeling guilty, about all this "bad" stuff.

Does any of this, make any sense?!?

And I know full well, "The Why" of all this "bad" indoctrination, btw. I'm just being sweet and not saying it out.

Fresh Local and Best said...

My goodness! I love that age when they find the tiniest, oddest thing funny, and the different perspectives they have on life.

Terri Steffes said...

Snow day!!!

Do you think she is referring to the place where trees split (the crack, so to speak, giggle giggle)? I love kids.

MrsJenB said...

That picture is hilarious!

Stories like this one remind me of why I can't wait to have kids.

Anonymous said...

What a cute story! I hope you have a good excuse for your daughter-in-law for the profanity!!!!!!!! ha

MrsJenB said...

To comment on Aunt's Amelia's Attic's comment...

After having been a part of the raising of my much younger siblings, I can say that labeling a word as "bad" is a lot easier for a child to handle than, for instance, "the word you just said is not a polite word that we use in conversation". The word "bad" is just much easier to grasp. If a parent doesn't want their child to run around screaming "BUTT BUTT BUTT!" (or worse) all day long, as they will when they learn a new word that intrigues them, then labeling it as "bad" is a way to stop that. As they grow up they'll understand that the word may not have been bad, just the way they were using it...IF you tell them that.

And isn't the giggling and snickering behind your hands over a silly "bad" word part of growing up? I know it was for my brother and I. We would crack ourselves up over it!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Jenny
Love it! Children keep us young don't they? The innocence in her comments is so sweet.

I'll never forget when my daughter came home from her first day in first grade and announced over her milk and cookies that she found out what "Sex" was! "Oh no, I thought, here we go. Who said what to her?" I asked her what she learned and she announced "Sex means whether we are female or male." Simple as that! I guess that day there was a check box that had to be filled out and that explanation was given! lol

RNSANE said...

I can't wait to have grandchildren...I'm already sixty-five and the first wedding isn't until May. My other two sons don't seem in any hurry to get to the altar. I guess I'm stuck with granddogs for the time being and they don't come up with such delightful comments.

Allie said...

I want to be a gammie!!!!

Diana said...

That is so cute, that age is just precious. I remember when my granddaughter was three and thought that "PooPoo" and "Butt" were the funniest thing in the world to say.
I often wish that those simple things could make me laugh like that again. Wait a minute, what am I talking about, they still do!
Love Di

FarmerFamily5 said...

She tattled on you and now your introuble!!! Naughty Gamma Naughty!

mub said...

There is a tree that I cycle by on a regular basis that I SWEAR looks like an ample behind. I ought to take a picture of it one day. So, some trees DO have butts ;)

Jeanette said...

Too precious! Love the cute things that comes out fo their mouths.

Moore Minutes said...

HAHA! That is hilarious! Leave it to adorable kids to make us smile wide. :)

Kim said...

We purposely named our cat Poopie so that my hubbies grandchild could say his name. Giggled like crazy each time because he knew it was naughty to say- but sure did make us smile and Mom got over it :) I love to read your blog- you make me smile every time :)

jules said...

Oh my goodnes! I love kids!!

Busy Bee Suz said...

Jenny, this is just adorable. I love lil' kids. I remember taking my girls to the mountains one winter and ALL the trees were "nekkid"...the girls could not stop saying it. Good memories!!!!

Janiece said...

what a fun memory.

I hope you do not get in trouble for saying the "B" word!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Such a cute story and I can't help but smile at the 'bad words'. I can't wait to be a Gamma! In a couple of years I hope...

Jessica said...

Too funny...and (with me) - no need to apologize/warn about profanity...just FYI.

Vickie said...

Hi Jenny - thanks for your visit! Doncha just love the little things that come out of the mouths of babes! You have a very lovely blog! I'll be back to do some reading. Have a wonderful day!

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a cute story. If you need protection I'll send my Cousin Vinnie
to help:-). Have a great New Year - I hope 2010 brings you health, happiness and prosperity. Blessings...Mary

The Red Brick Farmhouse said...

POTTY MOUTH! roflol

You're gonna be in twouble!

Blessings~
Laura

Kat said...

This is too cute! Hope you don't get in too much trouble with Mom. Your grand sounds like such a sweetie! Kathy

Jen said...

Such profanity on such a good clean family friendly blog! HAHA...this is so funny. my girls used to call the trees naked too, but I have NEVER heard of tree butts...opps, i typed a bad word. what a fun day with your granddaughter.

Mrs Montoya said...

I still don't get it, but it did make me giggle. Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I'm excited to have found you.

Melinda said...

Out of the mouths of babes. I love it. Especially the laughing at the
"NAKED "trees.
Too funny!!!!

Melinda

Sweetly Sweet said...

That is so funny, if I am sad someday I will re-read one of your posts, they always brighten my days!

Brenda said...

Love it! I love it when my grandchildren say something so cute that grandpa and I cannot keep a straight face even when we should.

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Oh what a giggle! Thanks!

Laura said...

I love it, that's adorable!

laterg8r said...

so cute, she recognized crack even on a tree :D

CC said...

adorable story!

Martha's Favorites said...

Hi Jenny: What a cute story. She sounds adorable. Looking forward to hearing more! Blessings, Martha

Anonymous said...

Children just say the darndest things.. and they are purely innocent.. but I bet she does mean the crack in the tree trunks.
Hugs, Darlene xo

koralee said...

Thank you for visiting me...I am so so glad you did because now I have found you and your sweet story. I love how children see things. How I wish I could see like a child...I think life would be wonderful. xo

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh Jenny---what a cute post.... Aren't grandchildren just WONDERFUL???? You ought to write a book about your experiences with your grands. That is a precious story.... What horrible WORDS..... ha ha ha

Hugs,
Betsy

Unknown said...

what a potty mouth! and what a cute little granddaughter!

J said...

haha how cute. :)

Diana Ferguson said...

Enjoyed the story!

Unknown said...

she probably saw a tree trunk that looked like a butt.....

Beth said...

Your granddaughter sounds like the cutest! My 4 yr old has learned at PreK this year that when the trees loose their leaves in the Fall they are NAKED, LOL

Rachel said...

How adorable! I love her delight and her threat of tattling on you!

And for the record, my sister and I were not allowed to call eachother "buttheads" when we were younger... so we resigned ourselves to the not-quite-equally offensive: "bottom top" endearment ;)