Synonyms

One afternoon during reading time, Aidan decided to take a break from Roald Dahl (who he's reading exhaustively this summer) and peruse the Thesaurus for awhile, instead. As I was prepping dinner for that night's guests, he came up behind me with the open book and said, "Look, Mom! 'Annoy.' The first word listed is 'brother'!"

I turned around and glanced at the page, then searched his face for the giveaway twinkle in his eye.....

"What's that first word?" I asked, in case I hadn't heard him correctly.

"Brother." Still no twinkle, no giggle.

"Aidan, that word is BOTHER." He groaned, turned and walked away - embarrassed by his mistake.

From my perspective of the younger sister to an older brother, and the mama to a brood of brothers, I actually think he read it perfectly the first time.