Do you remember the movie "Splash"???

Well... just in case you don't, here is a link where you can refresh your memory. The reason for the question goes back to last Sunday... Picture it with me, won't you? (I know you will laugh while reading...)

Full church sanctuary; Matthew, my mom and I sitting a couple rows off the front. (Dad is singing in the choir and sits with them at front of sanctuary.) We are there a few minutes before start of service and Matthew is entertaining himself by looking at the children's bulletin trying to solve a word puzzle. This proves tiresome, and he moves on to floor play. (A regular practice, which as long as he is quiet and doesn't disturb others, I'm fine with.)

The welcome is just beginning and suddenly I feel a soft touch running up and down my leg... ?!?!?! Yup - it would be my precious precocious five year old "feeling me up" to use a phrase. I brush his hand away and try to refocus. If I make a big deal out of it - he will keep it up - therefore the plan is to ignore it and hope he gets bored. (And at the same time - try not to laugh - because it is a light touch and kinda tickles!)

The welcome is over - and we stand up to sing the first hymn... and here is where the reference to "Splash" comes into the picture. I gave you the link for the memory jolt up above... but it doesn't mention the opening scene of the movie... you know, the one where John Candy's childhood character is dropping coins on the deck of the boat, and then "picking up" the coins - while really looking up the skirts/dresses of the ladies standing at the boat railing.

So are you still with me? Do you see where I am going with this?? Can you guess what it is that I will tell you next???

Too true, I'm in a skirt (rarely ever that I wear skirt/dress)... and while standing up to sing the hymn, Matthew has moved into the "picking up coins" position. Although, in the movie the little boy (who is 8 or 9 years old?) just looks... my devious one looks, and continues with the hand thing too. Well, how do you ignore that? I try to correct him, brush the hand away, tell him to move out from under me, stand up so you can see Grandpa, etc, etc, etc... I almost get the feeling he thinks it is a game.

Mom even tries to help out. "Matthew - come up here to sing with us." His response... he looks at her (still from the "picking up coins" position) with a funny little grin and the light of the devil in his eyes, never stopping his actions. Mom can't help laughing, but at least she turns to the side so Matthew won't see and be encouraged. Me... I'm stuck with the opening scene of "Splash" in my mind and can do nothing other than sit down - which means at least he isn't peeping any more.

I'm caught in that place now of needing to correct a behavior... because it isn't appropriate, but at the same time he is only five, and should he have known something like that is wrong? I prefer to think he was caught up in pondering the fact that his mom has legs... And so, am putting off the "looking up skirts/dresses" conversation to a few years down the road. I'm just not ready for that yet.