Gnosis by osmosis

Recently we heard the following Taiwanese/Hokkien/Southern Min phrases spontaneously spoken by our children:

Jadon while taking a shower: "What does /soe sengku/ mean?"  (Take a shower/bath.)

Evangelina in the car: "Goa ka li kong... " (Let me tell you...)

A boy after his dad's own fart

The other day, Jadon & I had some making up to do.  I was giving Jadon space to apologize for speaking to me disrespectfully, and as he brushed his teeth I crouched down in the bathroom and prepared to read the Bible as is our nightly custom.  As Jadon brushed his teeth, he came up to me and said he was sorry for his part in our argument, gave me a hug, then turned away as he passed gas right into my face.

As we chuckled together, the air in the room was less tense... though a bit more smelly.

Too cool to say it at school?

Last week on Jadon's second day of junior high (in a new district with yet another new start for him, Lord help him), I had the singular joy of reciprocated expression of love: as we parted at the gate I told him I love him, and he was willing to reply with the same, along with the ASL "I love you" handsign.

Contrast that with what happened within days with Evangelina as I brought her to school.  We were walking in from the parking lot and I began to quietly sing my love for her when I was rudely interrupted.  "Shhhh!  Daddy, don't say it so loud!"

"I love you M--"

(In hushed tones...) "--Shhh!  There are people here!"

Then, as Evangelina looks around and noticed that the people passed to a sufficient distance from us, my daughter relents with the command, "OK, now say it."