Shift and Shake in the Sandlot

I've wondered when this day would come. You know. The day one of my kids would discover a heretofore unknown expletive and either start using it comically or question me as to its meaning and proper application. Well, that day has arrived...sort of.

One of my all-time favorite childhood movies is The Sandlot. Maybe it's the humor or just my love of the game. Whatever the reason, last summer when I was wandering through Target and spied it on the $5 rack I couldn't pass it up. Sure it was maybe a little beyond the boys' attention span and the "beast" was a little intense, but I knew they'd grow into it. Little did I know how soon that day would come. One day recently Trey showed them the movie and they've been hooked ever since. Davis has the plot and most of the dialog completely memorized, which is where this vignette picks up. Oh, and lest the ensuing tale lead your to believe otherwise, it's actually a fairly innocuous film with a heartwarming message and a sense of humor which appeals to adults every bit as much as children.

The other day Addison was retelling one of the chase scenes between the head ball player, Benny Rodriguez, and the beast (which is really just a lovable dog as it turns out). Benny is trying to retrieve a lost baseball in the beast's backyard. When he realizes the dog is hot on his heels, he turns and runs, yelling, "Oh, shift." At least that's what Addison heard. He stopped in the middle of retelling the story to me and asked, a little breathlessly, "What does shift mean, Mom?" Trey and I exchanged glances and stifled laughter while I replied, "Ummm....It's an exclamation, like WOW!"

Then a few days later, Davis was recounting the same intense scene -- yes, it's obviously left quite an impression -- when he gasped, "And then he says, 'Oh, shake!'"

SHAKE? Obviously, they hear what they know.