Under the influence

Each day at Samson's school, all the kids play together outside. It's usually in the late afternoon in the hour or so before parents start picking their kids up. I guess the prevailing wisdom is that at the end of a long day of singing, snacking, making crafts, and napping, the kids need some Lord of the Flies time.

Samson is certainly getting it. Last night every time he got angry, he would point an open hand at Vicki or me and say "FI-YUR."

I'm pretty sure he's not the next Beavis --- in fact, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know exactly what he's saying. Even so, it's a little unsettling.

Obviously, not nearly as unsettling as if he was actually able to conjure up "FI-YUR," to go with his anger, but still...

When I asked him if he learned it at school, he said yes. I figured they didn't cover it in chapel, so I pressed him further about who says it on the playground.

Bobby and Drew say it. I don't know who Bobby and Drew are, but something tells me they are "big boys."

Ok, Samson tells me they are "big boys," which at his school could mean 3- or 4-year-olds. We've heard about Bobby before. Usually in the context of "Bobby is cool." I wish I was kidding.

No idea who Drew is. Presumably, he too is cool. [What, I wonder, makes one toddler cool to another?]

Regardless of their coolness, we now have a toddler who is shooting fire at us.

To her credit, Vicki has decided to try the oversaturation/desensitization route, using "fire" repeatedly in all sorts of contexts. [Perhaps I should send a warning to the local "Mommy and Me" movie club]

Of course, I chose the classic: "Hey Sam, could you stop saying that, please?"

One of these times that approach has to work, right?