My son...

...the swearer.

It all started with the "it rhymed with sucker" incidence. That opened his eyes.

[Sidenote: he hasn't said it since that incident...or anything else until this next bit.]

Then it started back up again with the TMNT. As in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. AKA my archenemies.

Raphael.

Leonardo.

Donnatello.

Michaelangelo.

Those pesky turtles. Somehow G-Man has decided that the "turtles" are the best thing since sliced bread and I am forced to endure conversations revolving around Raf, Leo, Donny, Mikey, Splinter, Shredder and the Foot Ninjas.

Trust me when I tell you...the stupid animatronic turtles and real people in the movies dating back to 1990, 1991, 1993 and then the newer TMNT movie from 2007 with just the animation (WAY better to endure than the stupid mouth-moving to wrong words animatronic movies of the 90's movies).

We watch all the movies. And ALL the cartoons that are still on tv Saturday mornings. And we watch these over and over and over again.

It's not unheard of to hear "COWABUNGA" if you're in our household.

Well, back to my original thought. In one of the original 90's movies...the turtles say "DAMN!" or "DAMNIT" something like 3 times! Now, why would they do that? It's going to be kids to watch this. Why throw that in there?

Well, he's watch it and never say anything (not pick up on it?). Then he would softly repeat it after they said it. We'd tell him that that was a bad word and he wasn't allowed to say it. So not much happened.

Or so we thought.

The other day Travis got him up and was getting him ready for daycare. He always wants to wear his jammies to school and Travis told him he couldn't and that he was wearing these clothes he had gotten out for him.

"DAMNIT DADDY!!!!"

Travis swatted his butt and reminded him that he wasn't allowed to say that word. Even if he heard Mommy, Daddy or the Turtles say it....it was bad and he wasn't allowed to say it.

G-Man hung his head, mumbled "I Sorry Daddy", and that was that.

I was worried to death that he would cuss at Mamaw (my mom) this weekend while spending the night.

Luckily, that didn't happen. I wouldn't want to cause my mother to have a heart attack.

But then last night, we're getting ready for bed, got our jammies on, got our books out to read, and the boys informed me that it was "Daddy's Turn" to read and put him to bed so I kissed him and headed out the door. I had taken 2 steps out of his bedroom when I heard him say "DAMNIT".

For no reason at all. Not sure what brought it on. But Travis got on him again.

Explained him it was a bad word. He wasn't allowed to say it. He was being punished. He had to go to bed by himself and not read any books to him.

G-Man was laying in bed with his arms over his eyes, avoiding all eye contact and we left his room.

45 minutes later, we could still hear him upstairs through the monitor and he was talking and winding down.

"Daddy.....Daddy....", we'd hear him say. "I need a HUG!" He likes to request hugs, high-fives, drinks of water, etc. through the monitor to push back bedtime. Just like any other 3-year old.

So he went up there and kissed and hugged him and he finally went to bed.

Well, this morning, Travis got him up and got him ready for daycare.

"Daddy...."

"What buddy?"

"I promise I not say DAMNIT anymore." He of course said it in that pitiful tone he has.

His head was hung down and he apologized (without prompting and after he thought about it all night long, I'm sure) and gave Travis about a gazillion kisses this morning.

He is quite the ass-kisser when he needs to be.

So, we'll see how the non-cussing goes. I'm just glad it's Damnit and not the word that rhymes with SUCKER!

[Another sidenote: we have weeded the DAMNIT movie out of his collection until further notice. If we do cave in...I'm skipping the cussing parts.]