On second thought

Damn de lions, potty trains and desserts … words are seldom as they seemMaybe it’s because I make a living from words, or maybe it’s just because I’m a mom, but when kids make innocent mistakes with the English language, I especially appreciate it.This spring, when a crop of yellow weeds reared their obnoxious fuzzy heads, Carson (then 3 years old) wanted to know why I didn’t like those "damn de lions."How appropriate.That was about the same time he started asking questions about "potty trains" at Jo’s house. Apparently some toddlers were learning this at Jo Mann’s daycare.Carson wanted to know, "Mom, do they have toilet paper on potty trains?" and "Mom, how fast do the potty trains go?"Thank goodness that ride was already over in our house.STRESSED spelled backward is DESSERTSKids aren’t the only ones who do interesting things with words.An e-mail document circulating the office last week showed what happens when you rearrange certain words of the English language.The outcomes are remarkably appropriate:
When you rearrange the letters in DORMITORY, you get DIRTY ROOM.
PRESBYTERIAN rearranged can be BEST IN PRAYER. (Sorry, Lutherans and Baptists. Nothing that interesting happens with your letters.)
DESPERATION rearranged becomes A ROPE ENDS IT.
GEORGE BUSH can be rearranged to say HE BUGS GORE.
When you rearrange the letters in MORSE CODE you get HERE COMES DOTS.
The letters in SLOT MACHINES can also say CASH LOST IN TIME.
ANIMOSITY can be rearranged to say IS NO AMITY.
The letters in MOTHER-IN-LAW can also say WOMAN HITLER.
SNOOZE ALARMS can be rearranged to say ALAS! NO MORE Z’S.
The letters in A DECIMAL POINT can also say IM A DOT IN PLACE.
EARTHQUAKES can also read
ELEVEN PLUS TWO can be rearranged to say TWELVE PLUS ONE.
And, my personal favorite: STRESSED spelled backward is DESSERTS.