WAY TO GO RAY!

DAD 1 DAUGHTERS 0

That's very funny Thump. Us parents always have the upper hand the kids just don't knowit yet.

Funny, it's one of those topics you wonder when to approach with young kids - who soak up so much at school, trying to protect them on the homefront anymore seems like worse than a waste of time, but almost counterproductive when what they're going to learn from their friends is far worse.

So last night we're watching a movie with my 8-year old and she generally asks if some actor on TV is a hottie. I replied, sure, he's cute. And she says "No I was asking DAD!" so he says "Oh, yeah, definitely a hottie". So she replies '"Then you're gay!" Coming from her all we could do was laugh, which made it worse.

So of course, that haunted me later and I had to sit her down and explain that it was a normal choice for some people to make and that there wasn't anything wrong with the person or their choice... and that even her favorite singer, Elton, had just married a guy.

Of course, I'm not going to take her to see Brokeback Mountain or anything. But what an incredible movie, I highly recommend it. I always thought it took reproductive organs of steel to "come out"... the movie was painfully empathic to the alternative. I also thought The Family Stone did a great job handling the subject with regard to the family... another movie I recommend highly.

Sorry, I've swayed from the question - I don't think my tyke has reached the age for shock and awe - but I've already threatened her that anything she can dish out, I can take and return tenfold... I'm always reminded of the episode of Roseanne where her and Dan are picking their noses and whatnot while telling their oldest daughter they'd NEVER embarass her... Actually, closest we've come is trying to outdo each other with acting out in public - usually all I have to do is break out in song and she concedes.

My older boy really never did try to shock me... he just sort of accidentally did sometimes. My younger boy on the other hand... he likes to shock. For the longest, he had a vanity license plate that read "SXULDV8" and a bumper sticker right next to it that read "I need to be spanked." He had that license plate for about 3 years, then someone finally complained to the state and they made him send it back. His present license plate reads "FTW". Guess I'm glad the neighbors don't get that one.

I didnt think I had any children, so the biggest shock of all would be picking up the phone or answering the door and hearing, "hi dad"!