Cussing

I had a funny memory today of a time my kids were shocked because they thought I had done something much worse than I really had.  In our house, the kids weren't allowed to say "shut up" because we told the it was a VERY "bad word" (and just rude, really!).  Well one day, Bran and Dylan were in the back seat (Bran was probably 11 and Dylan 6 ... at the height of their arguing stage) and they had been arguing and fighting NONSTOP the whole day.  The arguing and tattling and shoving and pestering  and yelling continued in the car and I  was about to blow a gasket.  I had HAD it.  I pulled the car over, jerked to a stop, whirled around at them, and YELLED SUPER loudly at them, "JUST SHUT UP!!!!!!!"  You could have heard a pin drop in that car, and I still remember the absolute SHOCK on their faces.  Then, Dylan croaked out in disbelief, "Mommy cussed!"  Not my finest parenting moment, but now I laugh thinking of all the damage control I had to do after that so they wouldn't go to school (where I taught, I might add) and tell their teachers that their mom was "cussing" at them in the car!!  Sheesh!!