Out of the mouth of (my) Babes
My boys are enchanting as always, but recently with increasing communication skills. Every day they "say" things which make time stand still for me and I think "I must record this before I forget it." But I don't, and then I do. But here are a few that have stuck with me.
A covered his eyes when I came in the room. "You can't see me! I'm hiding!" he yelled.
A has always had a sense of humor, long before he could talk. His irony is getting more sophisticated however. Watching Little Bee fill his diaper for the third time in one day I said "Little Bee, you have all kinds of poop!" Without missing a beat A said "Cat poop...dog poop...elephant poop..."
Riding in the car one day I asked A a question and was met by silence. "Can you answer me?" I queried. "There will not be an answer" he replied stoically, not moving a muscle. This seemed strange to me so I asked "are you upset about something, A?" Still, nothing but silence. I gave up and changed the topic but my husband, who had been only half listening, said "did you say you were upset about something, A?" "No," he replied. "Mommy said that. I'm just relaxing." This was all done with such an air of other-worldliness and unflappability.
For his part, Little Bee has discovered sign language with a vengeance. Talking to him is like conversing with a referee - always a flurry of signs, symbols, and pointing - some which he has been taught and many which he has made up himself. They are incredibly nuanced and effective.
The best part of his communication, however, is his word for generic desire. It can mean "I want" or "this is exciting" or a million other things relating to enjoyment. The word is "doo" and we hear it often. If we wants something he'll point and say "doo." But when he's really excited he'll yell "doo DOoo...doo DOooo" over and over again, lifting his arms up then pulling them down with elbows bent.
His other favorite word is "uh-oh" and he uses it often. Sometimes I think he drops his dinner overboard, one piece at a time, just so he can say it again.
His other favorite word is "uh-oh" and he uses it often. Sometimes I think he drops his dinner overboard, one piece at a time, just so he can say it again.
3 comments:
Re Little Bee, I remember when Anne was that age and her word was "is" (not, "is" but "is" as in the end of "This" but w/o the TH) I realized it was because everytime she pointed at something or wanted to do something I would say "You want this?" So finally she started pointed and saying "Is?" Too cute these little ones!
This is SO where we are, with B. Signs and signals, sometimes incomprehensible, and the uh-oh is an absolute favorite!
I have found one of the great joys of watching children grow up is watching their sense of humour grow. Sometimes I just shake my head at the kids over dinner and say, "You guys are so much FUN now!!" Some compensation for the added hassles of pre-teens.
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