I tried to spend a little individual time with each of my two little boys...Matt was four and Mike was two. We lived in Phoenix; it was during my "civilian tour"...a three-year break-in-service from the Army. I had an errand to run so I grabbed the younger one and put him in his car seat (in them days it was not mandatory and the seat was not much more than a little plastic chair that the seat belt could pass through). Now driving Mike around was always a challenge: he had a love of watching his shoes fly out the back window and bounce along the ground. I can't tell you how many times we arrived somewhere to find a one-shoed Mikey in the back seat. And it was always the left foot so we couldn't get away with buying multiple pairs of the same shoe to keep spares on hand. Oh...ya see, the little '67 Nova SS didn't have AC so we always cruised with all the windows open...Phoenix?? Anyway, driving Mike around was always a challenge; he was that quick.

So there we were, heading out for a short run to 35th and T-bird for some reason or other. We were at a four-way stop when a Falcon pulled up next to us. It had obviously had a little work done to it; it sounded tough and the kid driving it looked game. We took off on a mutual signal and man, we roared. I missed third gear and the Falcon shot ahead...that was it. In the heat of battle I shouted, "Ah S***". As I slowed down to legal speed and slowed my breathing, I heard the sweet little two-year old voice in the back yell, "Ah s***!". I quickly said, "Ah Shucks!"...got back "Ah S***"...I repeated; so did he. I tried other expletives, Ah Geez...Ah Man...Oh gosh...even tried silly sounding things I thought should appeal to a two-year-old...Golly Wolly ...Gosharoodie ... Shuckins...repeating each many times for affect. Each one was answered by that little voice yelling "Ah S***". So I drove around for what seemed like forever trying to plant a new phrase in the little brain..."Ah S***" was all I got back each time.

So we went home. I came in the door and was met by MamaCharlie who asked what took so long. I just looked down at Mike and said, "Ah Shucks". Mike showed his mom his new-found favorite thing in the world to say. I explained how I had tried to change his vocabulary. She was neither impressed nor happy. She had to take the boys to her mother's house the next day (Mum graciously provided daycare for her only two grandchildren) when she went to work. Mum would not appreciate Mikey's spouting off.

We decided to ignore it for a while and see if he would forget it. At bed time, "Ah S***". We feared for the next day.

Nothing at breakfast. I headed out to work wondering how things would work out...we didn't have cell phones in them days so I had to wait 'til I got home to find out. But as luck would have it, either Mikey didn't share with Mum or she just chose not to mention it. In any case, we never heard. And Mike didn't seem to want to say it anymore.

Silly little story, I know. But for years I remembered that a two-year-old's brain will absorb the least desireable things and nothing else will disuade him from it. So l realized that Dads have to be aware of their audiences and curb their tongues.