A few days ago Lucille announced that she was giving up potty talk. This announcement came as a surprise to those to us who live with her because in at least 75 percent of her verbal communications she includes some moment of potty talk. Butt crack is her favorite term and she sprinkles it in anywhere she can. Butt crack girl, living in a butt crack world (think, if you can remember back this far, Billy Joel and Uptown Girl) is her favorite tune and she’s even made a lovely work of art that has adorned our living room for the past few months reflecting her favorite phrase.

Lucille’s constant potty talk has been going on so long that I can’t even remember when it started so when she said she was giving it up I took notice.

“No more spanking butt show,” she said.

“Really, no more?” I said referring to a little dance she likes to do in which she pats herself on the bum while chanting, It’s called the spanking butt show!

“No more,” she said.

She took down all of the potty talk art that had been hanging on our walls and put it in the trash. (I fished out “Butt Crack” to save for her 16th birthday party but was happy to see the rest of it go.)

I overheard her talking with a friend about the sudden sea change in her love of potty talk.

“Do you potty talk at school?” he said.

“No, never,” she said.  “Do you?”

“Nooooooo,” he said. Taboo, evidently, for school it seems both have reserved their potty talk antics for home and the weary ears of their parents.

From eavesdropping on their conversation, I’ve gathered they’ve made a pact, it seems, to both give it up together. It all sounds pretty good to me.

I have asked Lucille’s teachers if she uses this kind of language at school and they tell me no way. She’s nothing but helpful and precious, a real negotiator and peace maker. I love that kid but, to be honest, I was a little surprised to hear this. I blame all of this exemplary behavior witnessed by her teachers on her preschool teacher who taught her the ways of being a part of a community. I brought to that teacher a wild little animal with a pixie cut and she shaped her day after day into the compassionate, loving, communicative creature that her kindergarten teachers see every day.

I’m really hoping that this latest turn means we will see this little person at our house sometime soon. But until then, I’m holding my breath that, butt cracks be damned, this kid is making progress.

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