It’s Very Very Fragile
October 18, 2005
We have always used the real names for body parts at our house. Up until a couple of years ago we only had to talk about the penis, with the vagina only get a couple of mentions here and there. Mostly it was in the context of, “No, I do not have penis. I have a vagina. And no I don’t wish I had a penis, thankyouverymuch.”
Then I had a daughter and suddenly we were not all penis all the time at our house. But vagina is not an easy word for toddlers to say. So my daughter calls it, “her china”. And because I think it is so freaking cute I encourage it and use the term myself. Also when she talks to her grandmother on the phone and drones on and on about her china, my china, and do you like your china, it requires no embarrassed explanations from me.
So imagine how funny she thought it was when we were out shopping this past weekend and as we passed through the housewares section I told her not to touch the fragile china that was on display.
She stopped and looked around, “Where china?”
When I pointed to all the sets of dishes she laughed and laughed, repeatedly saying, “No, that not china! That’s a plate. That’s a bowl!” She thought it was the funniest joke ever.
I could only imagine she was looking around thinking that there would be vaginas somewhere on display. I was momentarily thankful that I didn’t bring her to the China buffet. Not sure how I would explain that one… “Food, from china!”
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LOL! Too cute.
October 18th, 2005 at 9:29 amThanks for a great laugh first thing in the morning….
October 18th, 2005 at 9:32 amWe always used the proper names around here too, but since my toddler can’t say vagina either she calls it her front butt.
October 18th, 2005 at 9:40 amWhen I was preg with my daughter and had to go to bed for a couple of days, my then 3 yr old son had gone for the day to a friend of mine’s house.
My son came home and announced, “Boys have a penis, but girls are from China.” His dad and I gently explained that girls came from all sorts of places, and yes, girls did live in China. He was adamant that “girls were from China.” We were confused.
The phone rang later. It was my friend. She was worried about something my son had heard Lily say. My friend had been doing assembly line diaper changing as her 3 yr old, her 1 yr old and my 3 yr old were all still in diapers. (yes, I know, bless her!)
Jacob was first, and Lily pointed out he had a penis. Then my son’s turn, where Lily remarked, “Oh, you have a penis, too. My brother has a penis, but I have a va-china.”
Hence, my son’s insistence that boys have a penis but girls are from China.
I laughed so hard I thought I was going to deliver.
October 18th, 2005 at 9:44 amToo funny. I only wish I could have watched that go down in the China Department. LOL
October 18th, 2005 at 10:10 amChris, that is hilarious. I just mentioned something close to this in my post today (before I read this post, really!). My daughter was calling it her bum bum, and I explained to her it was her vagina. Now she calls it her “gina”-it’s too cute.
October 18th, 2005 at 10:28 amHa! That is the cutest thing. I love it!
October 18th, 2005 at 11:03 amyou betcha it’s fragile
and just like you save the good china for the really special dinners…
we save the “china” for something really special….not spahghettios.
October 18th, 2005 at 11:37 amI think I’ll pass on that food from China, thanks!
My two year old walked in while I was getting out of the shower & looked confused. He asked, “Where you peanuts, Mommy??” Because evidently, sometimes, penis can be a difficult word as well!
October 18th, 2005 at 11:46 amYou are hilarious.
October 18th, 2005 at 12:16 pmThat is funny. I have no problem calling them “penises” but I still have issues with “vagina” although I know that is bad and I’m trying to work on that. It tends to get shortened around here to “‘gina” which somehow for me is so much easier to say.
I have issues
October 18th, 2005 at 12:38 pmWe started trying to use proper names, but my son always refered to his as a peen-peen and it stuck. Somehow we moved from real names to peen-peen and girl parts.
October 18th, 2005 at 1:00 pmYou Crack. Me. Up.
October 18th, 2005 at 1:36 pmThanks for cracking me up in the middle of work. I needed it.
October 18th, 2005 at 1:39 pmBetween your china and Heather’s front butt, I am dying here at work. How cute is that!
I can imagine that she thought you were SO SILLY to be calling the dishes china. Hee!
October 18th, 2005 at 2:54 pmI’ve got one that calls it his peanuts also. Which almost always gets his older brother to correct him: “It’s your PENIS, dummy!”
Yeah, we’re a riot at church.
October 18th, 2005 at 3:53 pmi remember being quite confused about why everyone was angry about the youth in asia, as a small kid, but i was rather clear about my china. you crack me up!
October 18th, 2005 at 5:11 pmAudrey (age 3) calls it her ‘gina, too. Sometimes, as she adamantly declared yesterday, it can just be called your body. We call the rear end the “tush” or “bottom,” but at preschool the other day, one of the other little girls told Audrey that it was the “butt.” Audrey misheard and thought she said “bump.” I asked her where she heard “bump” for bottom, and she replied, “Halee said that Thomas’mommy was going to spank his bump. But that’s not nice to say, is it? We shouldn’t talk about people’s bumps, right, Mama?” I’m not sure she even understands what spanking is, but luckily, she was more focused on the bump.
Annnyway … Thank you for your stories.
October 18th, 2005 at 5:12 pmNow that actually made me LOL.
I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall!
October 18th, 2005 at 5:42 pmChris,
October 18th, 2005 at 7:05 pmQuick! Come see! My new blog design is up!!!!!!
(spastically running around to my favorite blogs sharing the good news)
Oh, no! You’ve changed the photo! While it is great to update the family photo, I loved the circle one! Wish I’d saved a copy, it was inspiring. This one is rather ordinary.
October 19th, 2005 at 8:05 amI don’t see how getting 7 children to stand still, in the same place, and mostly looking at the camera could in any way be deemed ordinary. I’m sure it was a Hurculean feat like none we’ve ever seen!
October 19th, 2005 at 9:47 amThanks Heather, all I can say is Thank God for digital.I remember going through rolls and rolls of film and still not getting a good picture.
October 19th, 2005 at 12:51 pmI have been terrified to call it anything because Boss Girl already goes up to all the men she knows and asks them if they have a benis. She actually calls it her “body.” This resulted from a bath where I said “OK, let’s wash your body” and apparently I proceeded to go right for the crotch. I really don’t know how to fix this, or if I want to. “China” is pretty cute though.
October 19th, 2005 at 2:42 pmI wish my mom (and/or dad) had referred to it as anything, rather than NEVER mentioning it. LOL.
You are a riot!
One thing my dh has right ~ is one is not to ever comment on someone’s personal choice/taste - I can’t believe people have no tact wrt, ’specially in your blog.
October 19th, 2005 at 4:04 pmLove the new design…
Okay, I’m sorry, it isn’t really ordinary when you consider what Heather has pointed out. I just meant that the composition wasn’t as interesting. The people are VERY interesting!!
October 19th, 2005 at 8:25 pmMy daughter Avery, now 13, also referred to hers as her “china”. We loved it then. We love it now. And yes, it is extremely precious. And she is to save her “fine china’ for her husband-to-be!
October 21st, 2005 at 10:20 pm