OH, SH . . . e finally made it clear what she meant

Ting Ting is talking -- a lot -- and we can actually have conversations with her now in which we understand her as well as she understands us. But for a couple of months, she had us a little worried.

She'd stub her toe and say, "oh, sh--." She'd drop her doll and say it again.

One day, excited at seeing Lauren and Brandon come into the daycare with Dad, she raced across the common area to greet them, tripped and fell, shouting "oh, sh--" right in front of several staff members.

Ahem.

Now, neither my husband nor I would swear we never swear, but neither one of us says that phrase anywhere close to routinely, even when we're NOT trying to be careful in front of little ears. And we're certain that that word doesn't ring out in the halls of the early childhood development center to which we entrust her daily.

But it sure did seem like she was using the phrase appropriately -- that is, in instances you might use that phrase if you were to routinely use that kind of language, if you know what I mean. Lance and I would wonder about it privately, but it was pretty hard to keep ignoring it when she said it in the hallway at church or when my mother, visiting at Thanksgiving, asked, "what is she saying? Because it sounds like . . . "

Yes, Mom, we know. We were hoping YOU didn't hear it that way, too.

Finally, one morning Ting Ting was sitting on our bed and decided to climb up on the pillows to reach the lamp -- she loves to turn it on and off. I saw her slip a little bit and bump her head on the headboard.

"Ouchy," I said without thinking.

"Ouchy," she responded rubbing her head.

Except she pronounced it more like "OH Shee."

Or, perhaps, "Oh, Sh--."

"OH," said her Daddy and I at the exact same time, bursting into laughter.

Whew.