SCRABBLE

I suppose it is not entirely appropriate when playing scrabble with a 9-year-old to use the word faggot in order to get a triple word score.  How could I resist?  I banked 57 points!  It is in the dictionary, I checked.  It’s not like he hasn’t heard that word before.  Heck, I know he hears worse on that bus he rides! 

I admit, some of my competitiveness leaked out.  I refuse to let my kids win for the sake of winning.  They need to learn that failure is a part of life, we do not always succeed, but we do need to get up and try again.  How are they to learn the lesson if they do not feel the sting of loss?

Don’t worry, I am not a monster.  I do not crush their spirit by giving them a runaway game.  I always make it close.  Then they start looking for ways to win.  My son was poring over a dictionary looking for words that could kick my butt: RAJAH (a king or prince in India), QUIRE (to put sheets in sets of 24), ALIPED (an animal having a membrane connecting the toes), EAU (water).

Of course, we were all trying to memorize those ever-so-important two-letter words.  My favorite happens to be QI, but to be a scrabble MASTER, you must know them all grasshopper.    

Besides, did you know faggot also means a bunch of sticks?  Look it up.  It is amazing what you learn when you actually go through the dictionary.  

WORD OF THE DAY--Osmose:  [oz- MOHS] –verb--to gradually or unconsciously assimilate some principle or object. 

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY-- Cafetero –noun—coffee grower.

P.S. In case you were wondering, my children did say, “Ooh!  Mommy said a bad word.” 

I have taught them well.