In that relaxed atmosphere, Chuck has a tendency to forget that he must watch what he says. He does really well, but Buckhaven is usually the place where anything goes because Emma isn't around to pick up on the choice words and phrases.
This particular weekend, he slipped up a time or two and said some of these things while she was around... one of which he edited (thankfully) mid-phrase. So, instead of what he was going to say he replaced it with the word scratcher*. Which was nice, because I really didn't want Emma to hear what he would have said. So, of course, I gave the the look. You know the one... Death by Lethal Glance... and tried not to draw any other attention to it. I really thought that I succeeded because Emma didn't even look up from playing.
But, of course, I thought wrong. A few nights later, I had Emma and Jack in the tub. She was playing with her tub letters, stacking them as high as she could. Then, when she finally reached the tipping point and they all came tumbling down, she muttered, half under her breath, "Mudder (Mother) Scratcher*.
I almost fainted. I really thought that maybe I heard her wrong, so I asked her to repeat herself. And she said it again. Obviously, I didn't contain my reaction as well as I thought, because she laughed and repeated herself several times.
I asked her who says that, to which she replied nonchalantly, "Me." So, I asked who else says that. She started beaming and said, "Daddy!"
Daddy and I had a 'Come to Jesus' meeting shortly thereafter.
*Scratcher is a made up word used to replace an inappropriate one beginning with the letter F. For more clarification, please find a sailor, or someone who seems to be a sailor based on the language he or she uses.
