Like

We're often amazed by just how much we've cleaned up our language around here in response to parenthood. Yes, kids are linguistic sponges. Yes, we self police. Because there are some things that simply should not come out of the mouths of three year olds.

Consider, if you will, the time at the mall when Elise couldn't locate a toy in her stroller:
"Where the heck is the blue fish?"

While this seems hilarious on the surface, it is not appropriate for a small person. One has to prove mastery of a skill before taking liberties. Speech is still new enough for a kid that people are shocked, shocked I tell you to hear words like "heck" from a young'un.

Our new craze here is a teenage-esque use of the word "like." Oh yes. While not as socially unacceptable as "heck" it's still pretty far out there.

"I was thinking that we could, like, build a house with like all of the Legos, Mom."

"My kitten like loooooves to sleep with Flapjack in her bed."

Like, nifty, dude. And I'm not sure if I can, like, keep a straight face as I, like, try to convince her to, like, change her speaking habits. Like.