Kids have a special way of making you feel old. Just the other day at dinner, Emma asked me if there was TV when I was a kid or still just radio? Seriously? Yes, Emma, I was born after the invention of the television. I should be glad that she didn't ask me if I came over on the Mayflower. She reserved that question for Brian. This story below made me realize how quickly slang moves in and out of our vocabulary.
After bedtime stories, the girls say their prayers and then I will say a little prayer for them. I really use it as a time to imprint in their little heads the kind of women I want them to grow up to be. I will also make special requests if they are feeling sick or are out of sorts about something. So, last week, I added a special note in the prayer for Emma to be brave when she gave her class presentation on Rosa Parks. Here is the conversation that took place afterwards...
Emma: Mom, you know, sometimes I just get so nervous when I'm in front of the class.
Me: Emma, if you get nervous, just close your eyes for a second and imagine me and Daddy cheering you on. (Singing) Go, Emma with your bad self! Go, Em-
Emma: Did you just call me bad? I'm not bad.
Me: No, it means cool....like a good thing....like you're so cool....that's so bad...
Emma: What? That doesn't make any sense.
Me: When I was a kid, if something was cool, you would say it was bad.
Emma: That doesn't make any sense. If it is bad, it's bad. I don't like that cheer.
Me: Okay, well, just imagine we are cheering for you.
The next night, Brian put the girls to bed and Emma asked him, "When you were born, way back then, did you used to say a cheer like - Go Emma with your bad self! Go Emma, and the bad meant good? Because if you did, then that just doesn't make any sense." I hadn't told Brian about my little cheer session the night before, so he was caught off guard by this one!
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