Thursday, April 12, 2007

When Did That Happen?

Remember when your children were all babies? (Maybe they still are!) You could say anything you wanted to anyone, and the kids were none the wiser. Then they began talking and understanding the things you said, so you moved on to something new. S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G-E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G-Y-O-U-D-I-D-N-T-W-A-N-T-T-H-E-K-I-D-S-T-O-U-N-D-E-R-S-T-A-N-D.
You know, "Honey, is there anymore C-A-K-E?"
Or, "Let's make B-E-D-T-I-M-E-E-A-R-L-Y-T-O-N-I-G-H-T!"
Then the kids go to school and start spelling, and a perfectly good tool for communicating with your spouse gets thrown out the window. So, what's next? A different language?
The only other language I can speak semi-fluently is pig-latin, and my husband doesn't get it. But the kids do! So that's out.
For a time I figured my husband and I would just have to be extra careful with keeping our private comments, uh, private. But "extra careful" doesn't always work for us...We were being extra careful when I got pregnant the third time! I know, it's ultimately up to God, but...

Oh, where was I? Right - communicating secretively.
With the spelling-things-out option gone, I relied on the fact that I could at least still write in cursive. They aren't reading that yet. Well, Elizabeth is, but I figured I could be selective about the hands that hold the note. Oh, silly me!

Today is Brian's birthday and he opened his card from me during breakfast, with the kids all standing around. His "present" is coming later, and I told him about it in the card. Because I didn't think Joshua could read cursive, I didn't care when he snatched the card out of Brian's hand. That is, until he proceeded to read aloud, "Chuck is taking the kids overnight and we have reservations at the Inn! Ooo la la!"
I stared with wide eyes. When did he learn to read cursive - my cursive? Fortunately the kids were so interested in the prospect of spending the night at Uncle Chuck's house that no one bothered to ask what I meant when I wrote, "Ooo la la!" That'll come later, I guess.

So what now? Spelling's out. Cursive writing is no longer safe. Do we sign up for French classes at the community college? Hmmm...Taking a romance class together - Ooo la la!

Karen

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well this sure has bummed me out! Maybe I wont allow my kids to go to school so that I can continue spelling things to my husband! I'm not wanting to give that up!!

Have fun at the inn! *wink*

Oh and btw..thanks so much for your encouraging comments on my blog..they mean a lot!

Cloves said...

Morse Code?

Luckily, my oldest still has trouble reading sursive. But he is learning it and will be able to read it soon.

Karen Hossink said...

Jen ~ Sorry to bum you out...I think Christina may have a good idea with the morse code, though!
And, uh, we will have fun. *wink* There's a jacuzzi in the room, too!

Christina ~ Morse code may have some possibilities. Wonder how long it would take for the kiddos to pick up on it!?

Jenny said...

Hey! Glad you found me so I could find you!!! Try this one on for size: Our daughter came in one morning last week hugging on her daddy and kissed him on the cheek, and said, I saw you kissing momma last night and your booty was moving. :0 !!!!! My chin hit the ground. First of all, thank God she doesn't realize what she saw, and second of all, just when did she see that?!?! My hubby just kissed her back, then grinned at me!! Gotta love your kids, and I pray God will get that image OUT OF HER MIND!!

Jenny said...

PS. Love the name. Irritable mother is truth somedays.

Robin Green said...

How funny are you! I'm glad I found you! My kids are all older and the spelling and pig-latin are long gone. I hate to say it, but the Morse code thing is no good--they were just learning it the other day. There is no hope, I'm afraid--well, maybe French is a hope--but that's too much work--"ooh la la" or not!

Karen Hossink said...

Coach J ~ I'm still laughing at your story! I think I would have rolled over and died if that happend to me.

Jenna ~ No morse code, huh? I do think learning another language is out of the question. Guess we'll just have to whisper.

Annie said...

I loved the days of spelling! Now my kids are all spread out and most of them can spell... sigh ...
Matt & I have sort of secret words or a secret language that even the older ones don't get because it just doesn't mean what they would think... I would give examples, but after Coach j's story I don't think I should :)
Blessings~~
♥ Annie
My Life as Annie!

Anonymous said...

H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!

C'est tres amusant!

I think that The Belgian Wonder and I can speak French for a while longer. The kids never did learn enough to truly understand.

Another idea: develop code words and phrases using dull, adult topics for regularly used private conversation. For evenings when you want the kids to have an early bedtime, you could say, "Did you see that some of our stocks have gone down? I think we need to act on that. Don't you? Maybe look into selling out early?"

For, uh, "propositions," you could try something like, "I need you to change one of the lightbulbs upstairs tonight, honey." Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean?

Just thinking....

momteacherfriend said...

That is so funny!
We can still spell most things. Dear son can spell some words so we have to use for complex words that he can not translate.

I like Chritina's morse code suggestion. I would love to be a fly on the wall as you beep your way through a conversation with your husband.

Funny funny stuff.

Coach J- yeah I will be fine if that never happens here. Although I have siblings who were caught "wrestling"

Karen Hossink said...

Annie ~ A secret language? Worth a try, I think!

Ann ~ Brian dabbles in the stock market. The kids may fall for it!
So you and The Belgian Wonder really speak French to each other? That seems so, romantic!!!

Mom ~ You can come hang out on my wall (or couch!) anytime. :)

Mandalyn said...

Both my kids are really small so we're still spelling! I'll have to learn morse code before long! :)

KarenW said...

My dh and I DID learn a foreign language. We could communicate in front of the kids for a few months but then they learned it too. I'd say go for a secret code language.

Anonymous said...

How funny! It does get so much more difficult to be secretive! Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you won't mind if I come back again!

Karen Hossink said...

Mandalyn ~ --. --- --- -..
.-.. ..- -.-. -.- ..--.
That's morse code for GOOD LUCK!

Karen ~ After looking up that morse code for Mandalyn, I'm thinking it would take too long to communicate that way. Perhaps we WILL go for a secret code language.

Lauren ~ You're welcome. And I would love it if you came back for another visit! :)

Jenny said...

Is that really morse code?? I think by the time I got all that out, I wouldn't be in the mood!!

Nicole - Life in Progress said...

Karen, that is hysterical! I'm considering myself warned that it will only get harder from here on out to have secrets from the kids!