In The Words of Kids: SMART MOUTH

First of all, so much for my praises of Kevin Smith - UCF's record-setting rusher.  Like I said, he would probably have lost about $25 million staying in school.  However, the thing that really bothered me was the attitude portrayed in Smith's original announcement to stay and his announcement to leave.  At first, he was talking about loyalty and teammates and graduating and how money wasn't the most important thing.  The second speech was all "doing what's best for me" and "no one knows what's best for me" and stuff like that.  Makes me wonder who got to him - which agent or whatever.  

Second of all, I had a new album that I should have added to the 2007 BEST OF MUSIC post - but I didn't hear it until 2008.  Kevin Max's The Blood is absolutely incredible.  I always considered K-Max to be the most annoying and least talented member of dcTalk.  I think I may have underestimated him.  The album shows a huge understanding of and appreciation for the roots of Gospel music, as well as the power of Christ's Blood.  Good album.  Get it.

Now to the main event...

All my life I hear parents say things to kids.  Adult-type things - you know, these higher function comments that kids won't be able to understand because they haven't lived long enough to reach the point of enlightenment.  Dip into the Dad Bag and throw out "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you."  "It builds character."  "Because I said so."  All of those cliched parent comments - that I find myself saying now.  I swore I never would, but I do.  Why?  Probably because my kids are smarter than me.  They ask me why they have to do something, and I really don't have a good reason every time.  So I resort to those things.

The other day, I was arguing with Josiah - our six year old.  Lately, he has developed this knack for doing ornate events to celebrate random things.  Last Friday, it was "Gabey Day" - I guess in celebration of Gabe, our three month old.  Well, it was cute, and we all liked it.  So he then translates that to mean, "Please do this every single day without end."  So he plans to do Gabey Day - with a parade and refreshments and everything.  Well, this is not going to work every day, so we tell him that it can't happen.  And he flips out - another thing he has a knack for.  "I'm just going to destroy all the Gabey Day signs, then."  And he goes to tear this stuff he made up.  Ri-diculous.  Well, he's moping around, standing with his arms crossed.  

Finally, I dip into the Dad Bag for a comment and say, "Listen, if you are going to be mopey, go be mopey in your room.  You aren't hurting anyone but yourself."  He looks at me, with a scowl on his face, and retorts, "Well, it isn't hurting ME either."  And he walks away.  Victory Josiah.  Truth of the matter is, it wasn't hurting him.  So there went another Dad Bag Comment out the window.