Friday, April 25, 2008

ZEPHYR...ZOOLOGIST...ZAP (OOPS!)

Yesterday over breakfast we were trying to come up with some unique "z" words for the monsters to take to school for circle time. Obviously, we've done this 25 times before, and by now we've learned with them that it's absolutely unthinkable to use a word that might even remotely have a chance of being uttered by another kid at school before they get their chance -- you know, like zebra or zipper, for instance. So, it's always a fun challenge for us, but this one proved a little more difficult than I was prepared for at 6am in the middle of the week.

So as they're busily attaching a "z" to the front of every word they already know in an effort to find something new (like "zoup" or "zog" or "zuck" -- get your minds out of the gutter, it comes from duck!), I was racking my brain trying to think of something really great...that I could also define...without the assistance of dictionary.com.

Ultimately, Chago's favorite was zoologist, of course. Saia liked zepplin. Then I said "zap" and found myself frantically backpeddling when it came to having to define it.

"Um...well...you know those electric fences we've told you about at the zoos?"

Chago's ears prick up.

"Well...if an animal happened to get too close to one...um...well...he might get a little shock of electricity..."

Chago covers his ears, scowls, and yells, "Stop, Mom! STOP! How can you even say that to me when you know how much I love animals?!?!?"

I felt this small.

And then I remembered I could've used an electric eel example, or a fly in one of those electric traps, or even lightning, for criminey's sake!

Oh, well, hopefully the nightmares will only last for a couple of nights. :(

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