The boys were playing in the back yard. Mark was watering some newly planted flowers and I was sitting, taking it all in – the lovely scenery, the quiet morning, and the boys playing peacefully. That’s when it happened.
Matthew walked past and said “I can spell dick.”
Surely I heard him wrong. He was obviously proud of himself for knowing how to spell whatever word it was he had in his head because he said it again – only louder this time.
“I know how to spell dick!”
Mark and I exchanged bewildered glances before pursuing the line of questioning.
Mark asked “Matthew, what did you say?”
“I know how to spell dick.”
"Spell what?"
"Dick"
Again we exchanged glances. How and why would he even know this word?
Trying to think the best, I turned to my hubby and said “We MUST be hearing him wrong.”
Meanwhile I look over to the corner of the yard because I hear Orin chime in with “What’s the big deal about dick?”
Logan was crouched down behind a brick wall they were building in their fort trying to silence his brother. He was whispering “No Orin! Be quiet! It’s this!” While pointing at his crotch. Orin caught on and his eyes got big.
I said to Matthew “What can you spell?”
He said “DICK! D. I. C. K. Why is dick a bad word?”
Mark began telling Matthew it’s not a nice word and we don’t say that, just as Matthew made mention of Jane.
Oh. My. Goodness.
Matthew reads Dick and Jane books to us all the time. Where were our minds????
I don’t think Matthew understands why we were shaken over his spelling that particular word and we’re not about to tell him, but now Orin has learned a yucky term.
All that fuss over something so innocent. Our minds are so polluted.
