The S word

Yesterday. Aixa and our three oldest boys are on their way home from church. Lorenzo stayed behind with me because he had asked me if he could go play in the church's playground for just "one minute". I told him yes, but also tried to convince him that it was too cold to play outside. He brushed it off saying, "just one minute, dad", his characteristic emphasis on 'one'.

"One minute" turned out to be more than a few minutes and I'm freezing my lips, my ears ache and my behind is giving me warning signs of hypothermia even though Lorenzo has me chasing him all over the playground. The little camper is not thinking about cold, I'm not sure he is feeling it either. He is having fun... with dad. So I must amuse him in spite of the God forsaken weather of these parts.

Once I convince him that he is too cold to keep playing outside, we leave. In the car I ask him, "Lorenzo, would you like a hot cocoa?" (Keep in mind, dear reader, that I don't speak English to my child. He speaks English to me, though.) He nods happily and we head to Borders.

On the way there, Lorenzo says,
"Dad, mom said the "s" word."
"Mom said what?"
"The "s" word."
"Really?"
"Yes, she did."

Pregnant pause in which I scan my lingo section of the brain and come up with the words "stupid" and "sh*t". I'm puzzled. Mom doesn't say any of those words. I don't scan for any other words.

Pregnant pause three months later. "Should I ask him to tell me what the "s" word is?" I hesitate, but go for it. I'm realizing that I may put my four year old child in a difficult situation by asking him to tell me this "s" word mom said. I don't demand to know. I ask very non-interestingly. "So Lorenzo, what is the "s" word mom said?" Lorenzo shoots point blank, "I'm not saying," followed, with his characteristic emphasis, by "it's suuuper bad!"

With a sigh of relief and contained laughter I tell him, "Well done, Lorenzo. Thanks for not saying the "s" word. Well done."

We reach our destination, step out of the car, go to Borders Cafe to get our cocoalicious drinks. (If you like hot cocoa, try the Cocoa Trio from Borders. You won't regret it.) Once we get home after a good time at Borders, I find out from mom what the "s" word was. "Heck" as in "what the heck"!