Say What?!?

Den of the Beastly Bear

Welcome folks!

Today's story is a cautionary tale for you parents/grandparents out there! Make sure when talking to a child, that they understand.

Back when Princess Bear was but a cub, a couple months before her 4th. Birthday she went and spent the weekend with my Mom.

My Mother dotes on Kaitlin something fierce, but would sometimes forget she was dealing with a child.

For instance whenever we were over my mother would let Katie play with her costume jewelry.  I would tell her she shouldn't do this, but being "Grandma", she would shut me down with an "Oh, it's OK!!!"
So we come over one day to visit...
As soon as we get there my daughter asks "Gwamma, can I go put on pretties?"
"Sure Sweetheart, you know where they're at..."

Now, I admit to being a strict parent...which I learned FROM THIS WOMAN!!! But every time I would get after Kaitlin in front of my mother, I would get the stern "Joe, she's just a little girl!!!". Then the "Grammafying" would begin "Oh you poor little thing, you didn't mean it, did you? Mean ole' Daddy huh?"
EXCUSE ME?!?
This from the woman that whipped my sisters AND my ass all together if no one fessed up to breaking something. REALLY?!?

So Katie comes downstairs from my mother's room, bracelets past the elbows of each arm! Now my mom loves her some costume jewelry, but not even she has that much!!! As I looked closer I notice there are really expensive bracelets mixed in with the cheap acrylic ones....like gold/diamond/sapphire/emerald etc. expensive!!! My mother noticed as well.
"Kaitlin Renee!!! You've got my good jewelry on too, you take them off RIGHT NOW!!!"
My daughter, not used to this tone from Grandma, hastened to comply! 
Standing in the middle of the kitchen, she stripped first one arm then the other in one smooth motion...
right onto the floor! Bracelets bouncing and clattering off the tile floor, scattering in every direction possible!
At that moment, Grandma disappeared! In her place, in all her righteous fury was the mother I remembered from MY childhood!
"KAITLIN!!!! Why did you do that?!?" 
My mother said, veins bulging.
My daughter hung her head, arms at her side and looked up at my mother from between her bangs and said, in that sweet voice of innocentence.
"Gwamma, I'm jus a widdle gurl!"
I couldn't help but say with a smile, 
"Well THAT bit ya in the ass didn't it???"

So anyway, back to spending the weekend with my mom. We had picked her up about 5pm Sunday and taken her home for dinner. Later that night she had gone to her room to get dressed for bed. It was summertime so she put on her short pink nightgown. It wasn't quite bedtime, so there was still time for playing with the dog, cuddling with mom and dad, or playing with her dollhouse.

As she was playing she bent over and I saw she didn't have any panties on under her nightie.
"Um Katie, where are your panties baby?"
"I'm not wearing any daddy.."
"I can see that baby, why not?" She always did.
"Welllllll, Gwamma says that every now and then you need to 'air it out'!"
"Say what?!?"
"You know daddy, down there...you have to let it breathe" That last in a stage whisper.
"Oh she did, did she?"
"Unh huh..."

So after she had gone to bed I gave my mom a call...
just to find out exactly what was said. I mean it was not outside the realm of possibility that that was EXACTLY what my mother said, if you knew my mom you'd understand.
"Hi mom, did you guys have a good weekend?"
"Oh yes, we had a great time!! Boy was it hot this weekend though! So we were in the pool a lot!"
"That's great...hey, wanted to ask you a quick question.
Did you tell Katie not to wear underwear to bed? Because she needed to 'air it out, and let it breathe'?"
My mother chuckled and said "Not exactly,"
She explained "We'd been in our swimsuits all day and took a dip in the pool before bed. We had toweled off but our suits were still damp. So when she put her nightie on I told her to leave her panties off so that they wouldn't get damp and the air could dry her skin."
"Well that sure wasn't the 'take away' she got!" I laughed.

So parents/grandparents remember, that kid will spout your 'wisdom' at some point in the future....
Make sure they know what you mean! Lol

Be Well!

Beastly Bear