DISCLAIMER: This is not exactly a "family friendly" story. Sometimes stories need to be told here even if they aren't rated "G". This one could not be passed by

It all started out innocently enough. Father and son spending time together, bonding as they do. Giving each other dudes, knuckles, high fives, etc, etc. Not sure where the idea came from or what spurred on the following conversation, but here's what transpired.

Cameron decided that it would be amusing to teach Hayden to say "Westside!" and flash his fingers in a "W" gang sign while saying it. Nice...I know...not sure why he thought of this, or where it actually came from...but, whatever. It was actually pretty hysterical to see Hayden do it (yes, he caught on shockingly quickly to the whole thing).

So, Cameron will say, "Westside" and do the hand thing...then Hayden will say, "Westside Dad!" and do it back, although he hasn't really perfected the complicated gang sign ::cough:: I mean, hand signal (pinky sticking out, ring finger and thumb down, and then the middle and pointer fingers out with the back of your hand facing the person....I know you are totally trying that right now...follow along so you can "get" the rest of the story).

Anyway...so they do it back and forth at home no biggie....Hayden even wiggles his hand around a little to make it authentic.

Today, I was at Barnes and Noble letting Hayden play with the train set there because it was SO rainy. There was a woman there with her son and he had just turned 2. So, the lady proceeds to ask Hayden how old he is. Without skipping a beat, he turns to her, flashes his "W" gang sign and quite loudly proclaims "WESTSIDE!"...serious as can be...I kid you not. The lady was like..."HUH?" and I said (trying to hold back the laughter), "Oh, he is just trying to show you "2" on his fingers...it is a little hard for him to do 2 sometimes". He immediately turns to me and says, "No it's not mom, look, see...2 (holding his two fingers proudly in the air)".

OMG...I didn't know whether to die laughing, or crawl into a hole and never come out. This was truly embarrassing. I am never going to let Cameron live that down.

OH...but the best part is that I came home and told Cameron (who was at work) what happened and he thought it was hysterical, but agreed to maybe go a little lighter on the "westside" stuff at home so he doesn't start spouting it off everywhere. He then tells his co-worker (a married guy who's about 25) about the story and shows him the hand sign. His co-worker starts laughing and tells him that that really isn't the "Westside" sign....that the "Westside" one is all four fingers out with the two middle ones twisted together. Totally...duh Cameron. BUT...and this is the clencher and the part that makes me so proud...the other sign, that my poor innocent son has been flashing random strangers, is evidently some universal symbol for "2 in the pink, one in the stink"...take that exactly how it sounds....oh yeah... nice...god help me....::sigh:: -- mam