Innocence lost before Kindergarten

Ouch. Today has stung. Two things in one day. I certainly can tell the school aged children are spending time with my son.

This is our conversation on the way to daycare today:

N: Mom [a boy] at daycare told me the tooth fairy isn't real, is that true?
[N told me the little boys name but he will remain nameless since this is the Internet, however I think it's appropriate to admit I have had my first feelings of wanting to strangle a child and it's not a good warm happy mommy feeling]
Me: Do you know what the tooth fairy is?

N: No but [he] said he pretended he was asleep so the tooth fairy would come and it was really his mom.

Me: Hmm, Well when you loose a tooth you put it under your pillow and then in the middle of the night the tooth fairy comes and leaves you 50 cents for your tooth.

N: Oh, but it was really his mom?

Me: Well maybe he wouldn't fall asleep because he was excited for the tooth fairy to come. And maybe lots of other little boys lost their tooth that night so she had many homes to visit... so mybe she gave the 50 cents to his mommy and asked her to put it under his pillow when he fell asleep.

N: Maybe

TONIGHT

FB and FG attended Vacation Bible School tonight. This is N's second round for the summer. He attended our church's session in June and now both N and H are attending at our friend's church. They are really enjoying themselves and they have been able to repeat the message back to us at the end of the evening. It has been a lot of fun for Aaron and I. We love the energy both kids have as they reiterate the message and walk us through the exciting evening events. I was so proud of N tonight as he told me God never lies, and he does what he says he will do...(never mind the small fib I told driving to work) so then we get home at 8:30p.m. which is well past bedtime. I am a little frazzled trying to rush to get the kids their baths, brush teeth, set out clothes for morning...I have my happy mom face on since we are getting the chores accomplished and I don't want the kids to drag their feet...N and I are standing in the kitchen getting a piece of co-jack cheese for his bedtime snack (the kid's new favorite). N is chewing on his piece of cheese as I'm tidying up the kitchen and he comes walking towards me with a humongous grin on his face and then he proudly displays his middle finger. He held it up really high as if to announce this is for the whole world to see. Flabbergasted

I say: N what are you doing?
N: a boy at daycare told me this is a cuss word.
Panicked I say: oh?, what is a cuss word?
N: I don't know.
Me: well is a cuss word a good thing or a bad thing?
N: I don't know I was holding up my finger because it got bent backwards and it was hurt. I was crying and [the little boy] said mmmm I'm gonna tell..... that's a cuss word.

Me: Well it's okay to hold that finger up if it's hurt or you need to show the teacher something but let's not put it up otherwise okay?

Dad walks in the kitchen, the finger goes down and Mister N goes about eating his cheese like nothing ever happened. I will say that child has a pretty good idea that a cuss word is a bad thing and is smart enough to know dad would not be proud.