TTT - Loud Singing, Baal?, and Wee-Wee

During church service this past Sunday, we were all standing and singing "How Firm a Foundation" when David looked up at me with a funny grin on his face.  I couldn't guess what he was thinking, so I bent down and put my ear close to his lips so he could whisper his thought to me.  "Mom," he queried, "are you the loudest of everybody??"  I didn't answer him, just smiled and shrugged; but after I settled down my inward mirth that threatened to spill out in laughter, I began to sing again - a little more quietly.  I wonder how many other people in the rows in front of us were thinking the same thing.  ;-)

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"Baal!"  I heard Tobin shout recently from Shav's room where all the boys were playing.  "I'm going to be Baal!"

WHAT?  My thoughts raced.  What in the world are they doing?  What game have they invented now?  Are they pretending to be Canaanite gods?  If I hear Josiah and David start yelling that they're going to be Dagon or Molech, I am really going to have to step in and put an end to this!  But has Tobin even heard of Baal before?  How does he even know that name?

I was completely confused...until I heard the other voices saying, "I'll be Big Jim and you be Little Jim" and "Shav can be Tom" and "No, Tobin, you be Dragonfly" and "David, you should be Circus because you're so active."  Finally, I understood!  They were not talking about Canaanite gods at all; rather, they were pretending to be the members of the Sugar Creek Gang (a series of books of which Josiah has read many, David has started a few, and Tobin has heard mentioned a number of times by his big brothers).  That's different!  That's harmless.  I realized I wouldn't have to intervene after all to explain why it really wasn't acceptable to pretend to be pagan deities, even in child's play.

One thing still perplexed me though:  Tobin's use of the word "Baal."  Then it clicked.  Tobin was actually saying the name "Bill," one of the members of the Sugar Creek Gang.  It was just that with his little country boy accent, he had changed the pronunciation to make two syllables out of it.  "Bay-ill" was what was coming out of his mouth; but although "Baal" was entering my ears, "Bill" was the real intention.

When in tarnation is thet thar boy ever gonna larn hisself to talk rite?  ;-)

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This last incident is one that I didn't hear, but Jeff did; and he told me about it, saying, "This is one for Tiny Talk Tuesday."  Shore nuff, it is.  :)

Josiah and David had done some kind of physical exercise and apparently felt exhausted, so they started exclaiming, "I'm pooped!"  Tobin, always eager to keep up with (or one-up) his big brothers but not being really familiar with the expression "I'm pooped," shouted out, "I'm wee-wee!"  Sorry, kid, that doesn't carry quite the same connotation.  Nice try though.  ;-)

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You can find more Tiny Talk from Mary at Not Before 7:00.