4YOisms

While folding laundry, 11YO came in to inform me that her 4YO sister had just said 'the D word.' After I was clear about which 'D word' she was talking about, I had her send her sister in.

"Did you just say a bad word?"

"What word?"

"Did you just say 'D@m%?'"

"Yes."

"You're not supposed to say that word. You may hear grown-ups say it, but they're not supposed to. If you say it again, you will get your mouth washed out with soap. Okay?"

"Okay. But what can I say? My toe is bleeding."

After suppressing a giggle, I tell her, "Darn it. You can say 'Darn it."

"Okay."

I asked her to tell her daddy what she said and told him what she told me. She bounced away happily knowing a what word it was okay to say when you stub your toe.

Problem solved.

Do You Know This Kitty?

Yeah, I don't recognize this cat either! He's not ours.

What I do recognize is the stereotype that the cat brings with him. He wanders into our backyard. The two older girls find and him treat him as if he's some helpless baby that needs them. He follows me into the kitchen and sits right down with his tail casually swishing back and forth as if to say, "What's for dinner?" He found the cat door almost instantly. He may not think he belongs to us just yet, but he surely thinks that we belong to him.

Funny, he's obviously someone's cat. He's clean and enjoys people. He reeeeeeeeally enjoys people so much that he starts to purr the moment he thinks someone might touch him.

Here he is, stressed out past the point of return and worried about his family:

Hogan and Shadow are lost as to what they are supposed to be doing. They circle him, half in curiousity and half trying to protect their domain. They barely accept each other and I don't see how they would ever allow a newcomer. He's young and pounces on anything that moves quickly. Hogan and Shadow already have the understanding that Hogan is allowed to chase any cat that moves more quickly than a casual stroll across the living room. This new kid obviously has no clue about how things work around here!

I took the pictures so the girls could take it around and ask the neighbors we know whose cat it is. He apparently knows what a camera is too, because he poses like he's done this before:

So, do you think this one captures his good side?