The Mouths of Babes

Sheila's post about all the funny/embarrassing things children say reminded me of a funny incident that happened with my niece and middle nephew a couple of weeks ago. My parents had the kids for an overnight stay, and I stopped in with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee for Mom and a story to read to the kids. When I got there, my niece (who at age four has started being interested in non-baby dolls) was playing with the Strawberry Shortcake dolls and pets we'd unearthed last month while pulling stuff from the cellar for the yard sale. Incredibly, they washed well, and they still were scented, although after being in a container for a couple decades their scents had mingled into one generic fruit smell.

I think my mom had told my niece that her aunts had played with the dolls first, because when I sat down to play with her, she held up one of the pets and asked, "What is this one called?" I told her, and one by one, she picked up each one and tested my memory. I did pretty well (makes me wonder what I don't remember because that's taking up memory space), even recalling that the little green frog was called Frappe.

My middle nephew who is two and a half was buzzing around us with his trucks, and I didn't think he'd been paying attention to us at all. At the moment I said "Frappe," however, he looked up and I swear he yelled delightedly, "Crappy!"

I'm hoping it was a momentary mispronunciation and I didn't just teach him a little vulgarity.