Eww!

See this adorable little face? Do you imagine the depths of depraved thinking it hides? I think not.



One of the best things about homeschooling is the ability to turn everyday activities and errands into lessons. I am sure public schooling families do this too, but being a homeschooler has made me more purposeful in my teaching.

We were at Costco and had a few minutes to spare while we waited for them to make our pizza. So we sidled up to the window and watched them while they prepared pizzas. The kids speculated on how many pizzas they make each day, and studied each step of the pizza making process. Lots of fun.

Then Susannah slips her arms around me and whispers in my ear, "Mama, someone gave me a present!" I turned around and Susannah opened her mouth to show me a piece of chewing gum. Alarmed, I asked her where she had got the gum.

She smiled and said, "Someone left it for me, right here under the table!"

"Susannah!" I exclaimed, "Do you know where that came from? Some nasty person chewed it up and left under the table because they were too lazy to throw it in the trash! It has been in someone else's mouth!"

Susannah's response? "Oh." While she continues to chomp away happily.

Eww! I explained that the appropriate response is not "oh" - it is is "Gross!" and should be accompanied by prompt spitting of the gum into the trash can, followed by brushing of the teeth (or at least swishing water in the mouth).

She protested, saying the gum still had flavor. She then explained that all the stranger spit surely had been replaced by her own spit since she'd been chewing for some time. Kindergarten logic. I ended up buying her a gumball just to trade it out with her.

Eww.