My kids love pancakes, in fact they would eat breakfast for dinner every night if they could. So sometimes we will go to have pancakes on Thursday nights (because well kids get free pancakes on Thursday night, score!). We always seem to go around the same time and it’s the same waitress who serves us so I guess my kids are the regulars.

There is always a man who is there washing the windows. He’s an Australian man (as he has told my son many times before) and he always has on his little portable old school radio with giant headphones. While he is cleaning the windows outside he will have his radio on and he always has a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Every time we see him my 6 year old son tells me that cigarettes are not good for you and they can ruin your life and it kills your lungs. They learned about saying no to cigarettes and drugs at school and my father passed away a few years ago - he had emphysema from smoking since he was a teenager, so when my son asks about him we tell him that it’s not a good thing to do.

My daughter copies her brother in everything he says and does and today, oh boy she decided to go big. The window washer came inside and he said hello to the kids like he always does and my little one decided it was time to inform him how bad his smoking habit was. She put down her fork and looked up at him with her big blue eyes and said:

YOU SHOULD NOT DO DRUGS, CIGARETTES ARE DRUGS…GUY…. AND IF YOU DO DRUGS YOU WILL HAVE NO LIFE…MAN…..

She was very matter of fact in her own almost four year old way. The gentleman being ever so polite and kind responded to her and said that she was right and that it’s a very bad habit and that he hopes she will never ever smoke. When he was done speaking she looked at him and said, you should have a lollipop instead and she handed him her tootsie roll pop that she got from the delivery from my photo lab today. (they always put one in the box with every order that I get)

This little sassy girl of mine, while overly outspoken is already wise beyond her years and I am proud to be her mom.

So remember….as my almost four year old says…. You shouldn’t do drugs…guy.