Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Cussing Critter

Our little one has started creating disturbances with her latest vocabulary ventures.  With every new word that she forms out comes one more profanity.  At first we thought it was cute.  Like the time she learned from her sisters that yelling out the name "Lilly!" in frustrated tones was how they cursed every time something was broken, stepped on, or had been abused beyond repair in their absence.  For weeks we giggled every time she'd yell out her own name when her toy stopped working or the puzzle piece just wouldn't fit.  Then it moved on to the Fork incident.  This was funny for a while too until we were so embarrassed by the mispronunciation that we decided not to provide any utensils at the last birthday party for fear we'd have serious cases of irresponsible parenting brought against us after the other children went home and started telling their parents what a fork is called in the Jungle household.

Lately she's taken an interest in Sleeping Beauty.  This is no wonder to us as her older sister seems to live in the fantasy at least 8 hours of every day, so much so that Lilly no longer calls for Amara by her given name but by "Beauty".  Again, very cute, but the fascination took on a whole new dimension when she began pointing out the finer points of a favorite Sleeping Beauty puzzle to one of our friends the other day.  She enthusiastically pointed out each of the puzzles finer points including a "rinse", a "whore", and an "assole".  The "rinse" could easily be interpreted as the prince, but the "whore" could likely have been the hussy holding a basket of berries and selling herself out to the man who only likes her for her voice, and the "assole" . . . well, maybe that's the name Daddy gives the guy who thinks he can come back the very same evening and marry the child of 16 who hasn't spent a day with her real family ever.  I don't know . . . maybe she wasn't really thinking along such simple terms such as the horse hiding behind the tree or the castle looming over the distant horizon.  What do you think?

Whatever the case may be I'm thinking we may need to have a bar of soap handy in the coming years if this keeps up.  I know learning two languages at once can create a few extra learning errors, but this is getting ridiculous.

5 comments:

bookcross said...

For you, this is not good, but for us - as innocent visitors, it is a total blast. i can't wait what she comes up with next!!! That sweet, innocent face and those words... really - it is too funny!

S said...

oh, my goodness, is that funny!

Anonymous said...

Yikes! I guess just keep on working with her and pronunciations. I knew a little boy that would say "shrink" instead of "drink". He would usually yell out I want a shrink! Giggle.

Survivors of Parenthood said...

I love the new blog! I also loved looking at all the incredible photos on flickr :)

Elizabeth said...

Too funny! I bet each word was uttered in such innocent sincerity. :)