Literally...

The Definition of the word Literally:

1. strictly adhering to basic meaning: in a way based on the basic or explicit meaning of a word or text.

2. without exaggeration: used to show that a statement is actually true and not exaggerated I always find it so cute when kids take the things we say literally, when we are not meaning to be literal. For example: We were staying at my brother in laws house during one of our visits to California, my nice Kaylee asked me to do her hair. When I was about done I told her "okay I just have to tease it now, then your done." she looked at me a with a sad face asked me "Your going to make fun of my hair?" I then explained that teasing hair means to get a little volume out of it, to give a more polished, finished look. So when I finished and she was pleased with her hair she saw that I didn't literally mean to tease her hair. Another example my sister told me about was during a shopping trip her Angela was doing something that made Jennifer tell her to "put a sock in it." Well as kids do Jennifer later looked over and found her literally with her sock in her mouth. My final example is today at breakfast when we were running a little late and Parker was on his 3rd piece of french toast asked if I would cut it for him. Since he didn't have any syrup on it I told "just use your hands" so after a minute or so he announces "it's not working" I look over to find him literally using his hand like a knife to cut his toast. I guess it's hard for kids to know and understand when we mean what we actually are saying. But stories like those make life fun and interesting and I mean that literally.