@#%$

While riding in the car the other day, the kids were fighting in the backseat. They had discovered a couple toy cars buried in the wasteland of fast food toys covering the backseat floor, and were grabbing at each other trying to control the brightly-colored plastic toys.

"Give me back my damn car!" Abbie screamed.

Mommy and I were instantly concerned about this. We asked where she heard that word (probably daycare). We told her that word is very rude to use. We did our best to be calm so as not to encourage her to use that word just to get a rise out of us. Abbie, almost in tears, kept screaming that she wanted her "damn car" back,

Finally mommy grabbed the car. When the kids fight over something, the best thing to do is to take it away; that way everyone can be unhappy together. Mommy held the car, looked at it, and found the word "Dan" written across its back bumper. Apparently this car was named Dan.

"Abbie, do you want your Dan car back?" Mommy asked.

"Yeah," Abbie whined, still fighting back tears.

Mommy threw the car back to her. It's easier to tolerate their fighting when we know they're not cussing.