Kids Say the Darndest Things · 29 October 2016
It has been a while since my children have really done so, but kids say the darndest things.
It is funny the things you remember when the kids get older and move out or get ready to move out or just wish they could move out. (Sometimes you wonder who is doing more wishing, but that is another story.) I think back to the days when the children were really young and how adorable they were. Not that every kid is adorable, mind you. I just know that mine were. And I remember some of the cute things they used to say.
Part of the charm of children saying adorable things is their age. When they are really young, they can say just about anything and those cute toddler voices make the words sound adorable. Even as they age a little, the sing-song-iness of their voices keeps their innocence intact. It is not until they get testosterone in their bodies and their voices get lower that they seem to lose their cuteness. Or maybe that is just my boys.
One of my fondest memories and darndest things was when Thing 1 and I would watch Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Almost every time of the seemingly hundreds of times we watched the movie he would say, “Fo fo fo.” He was about fo at the time, but he was not saying his age. His mom and I could not figure out what he was saying for the longest time. Then, we finally figured out he was trying to speak Spanish like the outlaws in the movie. Fo fo fo was just Por favor.
“Oh por favor,” I said in my best Mexican accent.
He shook his head affirmatively with a huge smile at my realization, “That’s what I said, ‘fo fo fo.’”
It was funny and not coincidental that the other Spanish word he knew at the time was the word repeated at the end of the movie. Fuego! He said that word perfectly every time. Looking back, it was actually sad when he was able to actually say por favor instead of fo fo fo.
Thing 2 did not have a special word, but he did have a special phrase I remember. It came with his hands spread out and palms pointing upward while he was giving a little shrug, “No poops in there.” He was speaking quite well before he was potty trained, and naturally, he had to examine his handiwork in his diaper. “No poops in there.” The sing-song lilt in his tiny voice always made me smile. It is strange, but I still hear that voice and that phrase in my head at the strangest times.
Thing 3 had no cute word or phrase when he was little. That was because he did not talk until he was three or four. (Not really, but the exaggeration/lie makes a better story.) That was because he did not need to do so. Thing 2 would read his mind and tell us what his brother was thinking. Not always though. Sometimes, Thing 3 would need to whisper to his brother to say what he wanted said. It was like he was some important dignitary or big boss who could not talk to the common people and Thing 2 was his mouthpiece. It was always a fun interchange to watch. Thing 3 would whisper to Thing 2 and then Thing 2 would tell us what he said.
At least one time though, Thing 3 wanted to tell me something directly. But he did not want anybody else to hear. So he whispered. I actually heard his voice as he put his mouth close to my ear. It was the most amazing thing. “Wsssss ws wsssssss.” I was excited to know that my youngest child could actually speak without his mouthpiece, and that my middle child could really read minds.
Sometimes I long for the days when my children were younger and more innocent. Sometimes I wish that I could hear them say those cute words with their lilting children’s voices. But I know the boys are older now. I know that those days and those words and those voices are just memories. Memories that I cherish as much as I cherish the adult or nearly adult conversations we have now. The wise insights or snappy repartee of my children, who are much cleverer than I. Still, sometimes I wish they were little again. Just so I could hear their voices.
Today, I look on my children with pride. I see them as the men they are or are becoming and I can say I am well pleased. I can say I am proud of them. But I will always see them as my little boys who melted my heart every day. And I will always remember those darndest things they used to say.
© 2016 Michael T. Miyoshi
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Those are wonderful and hilarious stories. I’m so glad your kids were okay with you sharing them. :)
— Lydia · 31 October 2016, 08:56 ·