Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Just a peek in Momma's World

Why Momma's World? It just seems to cover all the bases. Momma's life would not cover it since 99.9% of my life is nurturing the lives of my family and those close to me.

Well, I am going to make the rounds so I get rid of some of this nervous energy I have stored up today. I dropped my charts while making my rounds and out of my mouth comes "Ooooh Pooop!" About a half dozen men start laughing. Oh well, when you are a mommy you cannot sling out profanity "like a sailor". I am sure the men thought I was just a dainty, girly-girl.


Apparently I say it often enough to have an effect in others. This brings me to a phone call I received from a close friend a little while ago. "Shannon is it wrong for a 3 yr old to say Oh Poop!?" At first I thought she was talking about my child. I cannot recall any of my children saying "Oh Poop!" I told her it would be acceptable to me if my child said it as I use it myself instead of some other profanity since I am a mother. She explained that her daughter, whom I spend maybe one weekend every two months with, chose to start using this phrase during a play date. The other mother apparently was appalled. I was surprised to hear her daughter had picked this up from me. I must use that phrase quite a bit on the weekends we have spent together. I assured her it was more acceptable than some of the language I have heard from young children in restaurants and other public places. I have heard the laughter and giggle from all ages when I use the phrase "Oh pooop!" I would rather endure the giggles and laughs any day over the "tisk tisk, her poor children, jaw dropped" response I would receive if I used adult profanity.


My other "little ears language" consists of "buggery, buggery, buggery" always said in threes in such instances when I have just missed my turn off on the highway in an area I am not familiar with and have no map in the car. Never, ever say bugger in ear shot of anyone from Ireland, Scotland or even England. Much to my surprise I found out it is apparently 100 times more offensive than the "F" word in their view.


The first time I ever told my children "What ever you do, do not say the 'f' word." We were going through the McDonalds drive thru. I detest the food at McDonalds but sometimes I indulge my children in a trip through the drive thru as I will not put myself through a dine in experience. Both of my older children, ages 9 & 11 at the time, had a shocked look on their faces! They glanced at each other in disbelief that I would even say such a thing then gave a knowningly glance at the baby. My 9 yr old then said "Oh! You mean FRIES!" At that moment baby started whailing "Fen Fies! Fen Fies!" until we completed the order and they were in her hands. My older two are now 18 and 16 and still tell their friends about the "f" word and now the "s" word which is used for the same reason but means Shrimp.

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