Teaching Max to sing (or "Mom, you said a bad word!")

There are certain words we try not to say in our household. Not your standard 4-letter stuff - that kind of language just doesn't ever come out of my mouth. And I'm not talking about taking the Lord's name in vain. I don't. Simple as that.

No, these are words which are just not nice. Words that make others feel bad. Words that are disrespectful. Words that I just don't like. We try really hard not to use terms like "stupid," "idiot," or any combination thereof (which is really tough when you drive in downtown Philly or Detroit with all the stupid idiots!)

"Butt" is another word which I just don't like and though Michael laughs at that one, I really try to get the kids to use alternate terms. Shrek and the infamous song that Donkey sings really undermined my authority on this one, but I try hard.

So Max, Mason and I were headed to the grocery store tonight after dropping off the other kids at the church. Max asked if I would sing a song with him "you know Mom, the one about the boat going down."

Um, Titanic? That boat? "My Heart Must Go On?" Ooooooh, you mean "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

"Yeah, Mom. Let's sing that together. But I don't know all the words. Can you tell me them?"

Sure, Max. Row, row, row your boat.

"I know that part. Row, row, row your boat."

OK. Gently down the stream.

"Gently down the stream."

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily....

"Merry, merry..."

No, Max. Merrily. Merr-i-ly.

"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily..."

Life is but...

"MOM! You said a bad word!"

dream. Huh? What bad... Oh. Max, I wasn't saying a bum butt. Its a different kind of but.

"Mommy said a bad word. Mommy said a bad word." in sing-song style all the way to the grocery store, all through the grocery store and back to the church again.