The name of of a certain brand of suckers has provided a lot of comic relief for the family lately.
Dum-dums have been Mom’s first line of defense for long car rides, since it provides the longest distraction for two year olds for the least amount of sugar. Benjamin enjoys them so much that Dad has taken to saving a stash for him. Benjamin knows this, and the suckers are on the forefront of his mind whenever he sees Dad.
It is a well known fact that long periods of silence and small children can be an unruly combination. The stretches of quiet in the EF Mass at our parish have always been a challenge for the babies. Now, whenever Benjamin sees Dad in the choir loft or the back of the church, he says in a clear voice, audible to the whole congregation:
“Daddy! Dum-dum.”
…which has a slightly different meaning if you don’t know the context of what he is saying.