Some of the responses to the Plantain listing - the ones about spit bathing your kids - got me giggling. I must confess, I'm a spitter, too. My mom used to spit on a kleenex and wipe my face, hands, whatever.... and now I do it, too. Don't even really need the kleenex - just lick a finger and wipe off the kids' cheek. :-P

My oldest calls them spit-baths or cat -baths. She can't stand it! If I tell her she's got a smudge on her nose and she shrugs it off, all I have to do is lick my thumb and head for her. She'll yelp and run for the bathroom to wash her face! My youngest is picking up on her big sister's behavior. Didn't use to bother Katie a bit when I would "clean her up". But the other day, she had been to the bathroom 3 times to wash the crud off her cheek, and hadn't succeeded. So, I just licked my thumb and wiped it off. She squirmed and squealed, "Mom! I'm not a kitten, you know!"

-- Cheryl in KS (klingonbunny@planetkc.com), May 30, 2002

Answers

Cheryl, how funny!!! Isn't it funny the things we pick up from our moms. When Laura was little and I would hold her, I got into the habit of rubbing gently behind her ears to calm her down. Now it bugs her. I knew I had a problem when I had my arm around Dave in the truck and started rubbing his ears!! hee hee He gave me the funniest look. Phil doesn't run from you when he has dirt on his face, does he!?

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 31, 2002.

If I could bottle "mamma spit" as a household cleaner, I'd be bigger than Bill Gates :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 31, 2002.

HA! My mom was a spitter, and I SWORE I would never be one! Traumatic, I tell ya! ;) BUT, even worse, she used to come at us with the dishrag! It had that smeeeell, you know the one! UGH! Thank goodness for scubbie pads! :)

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), May 31, 2002.

Annie, you wrote: Phil doesn't run from you when he has dirt on his face, does he!?

Nope.... but he comes running towards me when he has dirt on his.... never mind! :-)

-- Cheryl in KS (klingonbunny@planetkc.com), May 31, 2002.

Ohhhhhh, what I could type right now......!!! :)

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 31, 2002.

Oh my gosh Patty!! Did we have the same mom or somethin'? What is up with the dish rag face washing...bleah!!! Very gross because I know my mom didn't wash it as often as we are warned to do now! And I too HATED spit baths. EEeeeeeeeeewwwwwww. I don't think I have resorted to them very often yet with the boys, thank goodness. I do have to chase them down, and hold them in a full body grip so I can wash their faces as fast as possible while they squirm. they are 5 and 3 now and getting to strong and squirmy for me to hold down as well.

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), May 31, 2002.

Mothers, if killing your mother had been popular in my childhood my mother would have been gone a long time ago - for putting spit on my face. There is nothing more disgusting than that. It wasen't enough to beat me with anything available - broom handle, coke bottle, ect. the human waste had to put her spit on my face.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), May 31, 2002.

Geez, sorry Mitch. :(

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 03, 2002.