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Sunday, January 05, 2014

We're not violent at all

A couple of months ago we were all confused by the word "sock." Just yesterday we got all confused again, this time over the word "lick."

We checked out the book I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! (and Other Stories) by Dr. Seuss, a book of his I've never read, from the library. He's fairly well known for silly stories, I think, so I figured this would be a silly story about trying to lick tigers...like...with your tongue. That's what my kids thought, too.

In fact, after we'd read the title together the girls chorused, "Yuck!" and stuck out their little tongues.

Spoiler Alert (but not really): This story has nothing to do with tongues and everything to do with beating tigers up.

Apparently we need to expand our repertoire of violent verbs.

We've got a pretty good handle on violent behavior, however, even if we have no words to describe it.

Miriam, in particular, has been turning violent lately—not out of anger or meanness, necessarily, but out of what seems to be curiosity. My mom might be able to chime in on this because I think my mom remembers going through a similar phase and actually thinking, "I wonder what would happen if..."

In the past month or so Miriam has punched Andrew in the face (hard enough to give him a fat, bloody lip), bit my big toe (I was just minding my own business when she somehow managed to get my entire toe in her mouth and clamp down before I could stop her), and just last night she gave Rachel a...uh...*cough* double purple nurple *cough* (Andrew's term, not mine; I don't know violent words) when they were supposed to be getting into their pyjamas.

She's typically gentle and quiet and calm so she has the element of surprise on her side. And she's quick, too! No one ever sees it coming!

When it's over she acts genuinely shocked that her victim is in pain and wonders why she should have to be punished when "she didn't mean to."

We've had more discussions about the phrases "on purpose" and "by accident" in the past few weeks than I'd care to detail here (or anywhere).

I'm hoping this phase will end before we're all black and blue!


5 comments:

  1. Yes, indeed, I DO understand! "I wonder what Daddy will do if I bite his nose?" right now, just when he is picking me up for a hello hug. (He was really, really surprised!)

    I had to ask Patrick what a double purple nurple was--I suppose I could have clicked, but I am on THIS computer, so I just asked instead. He described it quite graphically! Oh my goodness!

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    1. Also, Nancy, don't forget that you bit your Dad's big toe. So payback! And you definitely had surprise on your side, because a two month old baby is NOT supposed to be able to pull herself upright in her bassinette at the end of the bed! Let alone expecting said two month old baby to clamp down on her dad's big toe with all her might!

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  2. And then there was the child-Patrick definition of violence! :o)

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  3. So this might border on child abuse but it would seem fair to me to let Rachel give her a purple nurple...you know...just so she truly knows how it feels ;)

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