Boys will be boys

Can anyone explain to me the fascination that boys have with the word poop? And butt? And stinky? Bubba has been going through a phase where those words, either alone or in some crazy combination pepper his sentences with increasing frequency. He has, in fact, been known to walk around singing the following ditty:

"Poopy, poopy, butt, butt, butt. Poopy, poopy, butt, butt" all the while shaking his narrow little hiney back and forth. It's hard not to laugh, but after a while those words start to wear a little thin, especially when you tell him to do something and he fires back with "Okay, booty head!" Now lest you start thinking I'm some kind of lax mom, we don't let him get away with that, but still the words are out there and you just never know when they'll pop up. He places them randomly and with total disregard to syntax and sentence structure!

And any use of these words can send him into hysterics. Mr. Daddy took him to see Surf's Up several weeks ago and one of the characters called the other one a "stinky trash can full of poop." Every time he repeats that phrase he just collapses in a fit of giggles. Somebody in Hollywood has been doing their research in regard to the target demographic!

The only thing that Bubba loves more than saying "poop" is hoarding his money. In his room he has a giant pickle jar -- and I mean food service size -- full of spare change. Mr. Daddy and I were wracking our brains trying to figure out a way to break this annoying habit when finally it dawned on us. The next time he started with the "butts" and the "poops" we told him we were going to start taking money from his money jar. BINGO! Now he may not even know how to read, but the boy's got business sense! I only had to take a nickel out twice before the habit was effectively broken.

And what's with the fascination with his own anatomy? So far that seems like that's just a boy thing too. Maybe because they're just hanging out there?

One night while I was giving him a bath he reached down and said,
B: Mommy, what are these round things?
Me: Those are your testicles. Only boys have them.
B: But what do they do?
Me: (Hmmmm. What to say? How much information is he ready for?) Well, when you get bigger they'll give you hair on your chest and on your face.
B: (He looks horrified) But mommy, I don't WANT hair on my chest. OR on my face.
Me: Well, Bubba, most men have hair on the chest and on their face.
B: (In a decidedly final tone) Well, I won't be a man. I'll just be a guy.

Okay, Bubba. Whatever you say!