I think every parent remembers something stupid they said to their children and we looked even more stupid when we turned around and saw a confused look on their face.

I remember as a young girl I was very much a Tom Boy and I climbed trees with the best of the boys. I recalled a very old Magnolia tree that was taller than our two story house and I remember, “Skinning the rabbit” all the way down from branch to branch.

My mother was very protective of me and my brother and we had to be careful she didn’t catch us as we performed some of the stunts most kids do. Also bear in mind my mother had a habit of saying. “Lordly Mercy” when she was excited.  One particular day I was at the very top of the tree and was completing my first loop of “skinning the rabbit” when she caught me. “Virginia Marie, if you fall and break your neck I am going to beat you to death” she yelled at me. I never really figured out which was worse. I just assumed the safest thing to do was get down from the tree as quickly and safely as possible while she was watching me. I could always go back up once she calmed down, .and I usually did.

When I became a mother I remembered my actions and as I told my son there isn’t many things he has done that I didn’t try when I was his age.

I think the worse thing I said to him was one evening I was in a hurry to go somewhere of some importance and he was out playing. My husband was looking kind of grungy and I needed them to get cleaned up. My husband could move pretty fast when he needed to, probably from all his years in the Army. But Ben was a bit slower. That day I wanted him to wash his face and change his pants and get in the car. So I barked at him to get a move on and he just stood there staring at me. I asked him why he wasn’t moving. He said “Mom you told me to wash my pants and change my face? I can’t do that.” My husband was trying to stifle a laugh but at that point it just erupted into full belly laugh

Twenty years late my son will say “I am going to wash my pants and change my face” when he is getting ready to go somewhere and smile from ear to ear.