When they learn to read

There's a costume jewelry shop I love at a local mall. I guess I do a good bit of shopping there because for the past two years at Christmas, they sent me a coupon for $10 off of a $10 purchase. And for the past two years, I've given Jeff the coupon and asked him to take Biscuit there so he could pick out a Christmas gift for me.

The store has color islands that feature accessories in every shade imaginable of each color — pocketbooks, scarfs, jewelry, watches, glasses cases. You name it, they have it.

Jeff gets a kick out of Biscuit's shopping trip because he's been in that store enough with me to know the process. So when he walks in, he makes a beeline for someone who works there and tells them exactly what he needs.

"I'd like to get a Christmas present for my mom," Biscuit said last year. "Her favorite color is red." Jeff said that Biscuit said pretty much the same thing this year except that he wanted to get me something purple.

After Biscuit picked out his present for me, they walked over to a bookstore to look around. As Biscuit has gotten better at reading, he reads out loud every word he sees. We walk into the grocery store, and he's naming all the products. We drive down the road and he reads billboards and street signs and business names.

So as he and Jeff walked down the sale aisle at the bookstore, Biscuit started reading titles out loud. Jeff thought it was funny until Biscuit got to one big photo book.

"Bad ... Bad Ass ... Bad Ass Bikes," Biscuit read.

Since Biscuit has never heard a swear word from Jeff or me, he doesn't yet know what they are. Well, except for that one that he heard from a kid at school. Remember this?

Jeff was a little taken aback and thought it was pretty funny. But of course he couldn't laugh because Biscuit would've asked why, and that would've gone down a path he didn't really want to deal with inside the bookstore.

Although Jeff held his laughter, a lady walking behind them couldn't do it. She snorted and started laughing at what Biscuit said.

Jeff turned around and smiled at her and said, "It's nice when they learn to read, isn't it?"