Saturday, April 09, 2011

Stop pestilencing me!

Children today make me laugh. Particularly my children. Please allow me this little story.

My boys were having a fight. There was physical contact involved, and my younger son; he is six, ended up with his nearly twelve-year old brother's fist in his stomach. I wanted to know the hows, the whys, and the wherefores, so I brought the boys, and their nine-year old sister (who was a witness), into the living room for the big discussion.

The oldest shared his side of the story. The younger boy shared his. Then the girl told me what she saw.

As I was doling out the necessary punishments and lectures, the six-year old started shaking with laughter. Laughter that was causing tears to roll down his face. I had to know what was so funny. So, I asked him to please tell me what was making him laugh. His answer was simply that his brother had been "pestilencing" him.

As his mother, I felt that it was necessary to correct him. I told him gently that he must have meant that his brother had been "pestering" him, not "pestilencing." Then, becasue I am not one to let a learning opportunity pass by, I asked my six-year old to tell me what "pestilence" is. He told me quite proudly that pestilence is one of the plagues. I asked him to please be more specific.

"Pestilence," he said, "is a sickness. Like a giant bug."

The minute he said the word "bug," I knew what he was telling me. He was telling me that his brother had been BUGGING him.

He was PESTILENCING him.

I think his Sunday School teacher should be very, very proud.

1 comment:

The Red Headed Rebbetzin said...

I am sure she is...Great story.