A "light bulb" moment

So now that Oots (22 months) and Lucky (21 months) have mastered the whole walking thing, each with their own personal variations of skill, their language and comprehension skills are taking off like rockets.

At first, they parroted everything, every noise, every word.  Oots would make us all giggle with his "Please":  He would show all of his teeth in an ingratiating grin, and - with his mouth barely moving - say, "Tcch".  Also, "Blue" was a favorite word, but his pronunciation was worth another giggle: Lips pressed together, again, barely moving, "Bbbbooommmm" but with more of a buzz. It's really impossible to create the pronunciation in writing.

Lucky parroted entire phrases at a run:  "Bye bye see y' soon" (from "Pocoyo" closing scenes); "Habit? Tekoo. Wehcom" (translation:  "Can I have it?  Thank you! You're welcome") and "oh baby y'okay?"

But slowly individual words are becoming clearer and their meanings.  Dancer tells me Oots not only started identifying objects  but putting possession on them:  "MAMA's chair",  "DADDY'S truck".  And learning again at a run - like 10 new words a day. She said, "I'm right here with him and it's moving so fast I can't keep up."

The whole identifying thing.  It's like they have both had that light bulb moment when they realize all that stuff coming out of our mouths has meaning.  It's not just noise we are making, but we are naming objects and actions. 

I was fortunate enough to witness a lightbulb moment and realize it a few days ago.  Sadly, I can remember very few of my own children's moments (what can I say? I'm old) so I have to write this down before the next moment comes and goes.

Two weeks ago Thursday:

Lucky likes to sit in my office with me while I work.  She has her little easy chair and there is a second computer in here to play Super Simple Songs playlist or set up Giggles for Baby for her to play with the keyboard.  On that day, Giggles for Baby was on, one of the "games" where a baby can press the keys on the keyboard and ABCs and 123s pop up and say things like "A is for Apple".   Lucky has a few favorites ("5 chocolate chip cookies! yum!") but today she was just randomly hitting buttons.

"C is for CAT," said Giggles.

She stopped tapping keys.  Walked to the monitor.  Touched the screen lightly with one finger.

"Cat," she said quietly.

"Yeah, that's a cat.  What does a cat say?" I played along, you know, being interactive, workin' the whole animal sounds routine.

"Cat!" she pointed again, this time with more emphasis.

Still attempting to encourage, I responded with, "You're right, that is a cat.  Cat says 'Miaow'!" in my best growly kitty cat imitation, which she usually laughs at, or at least smiles.

"CAT!" she said a third time, decisively, louder, her hand flat on the picture of the cat, and looking back at me as if to say, "No you are not getting it. This is important. I just realized. THIS IS A CAT."

"Cat!" I repeat, watching her. 

"CAAAA-AAAT!!!"  She nearly shouts and all but rolls her eyes at me. But this time, I have indeed gotten it.  No comment from me is required or desired.  So I just nod.

"Cat." One last time, she gently pats the cat on the screen and moves on to the next.

Doodle-isms

Doodlebug (3) spent the weekend with me, due to an extended 10th anniversary celebration of Dilly and Baby Boy.  Yep, they hve been married 10 years and still crazy in luv.  Or just crazy, not sure.

He made arrangements for the kids to be taken care of so Dilly could meet him on the road where he is setting up for his new gig.  He's working with a carpentry stage crew for a theatrical show on national tour.  Anyway, she got a  4 day vacay from childcare and I got the 3-year-old for the weekend.

Some things were frustating - she still has problems communicating.  I mean, she's 3, her language patterns are still going to be a little bit confusing.  But so many things happened that I want to remember and cherish. So...

Here are a few Doodle-isms from this weekend:
1. If you leave cookie dough or peanut butter unattended, the mess that results is your own fault
2. If it gets very quiet, she is either into something or asleep. Guess which happened most often
3. If she says "NUFFIN'!" she is definitely doing something she shouldn't
4. If she comes running in saying "I sorry I sorry", it's probably way too late
5. She can eat her weight in grilled cheese, bacon, and chocolate chip cookies. Fortunately, she's only about 25 pounds.
6. Her active imagination: a baby bed became Ariel's ocean and a pier for fishing, Minnie Mouse got told "Don't you MAMA me!"
7. If something meets her approval, she declares it "Perfick!" (where did she get that?)
8. She matches tone perfectly - she could sing with every TV theme song and commercial in tune, and even "beeped" in tune with the microwave.
9. She loves to cuddle on my lap and sing songs with hand motions, over and over again. Bunny FooFoo, anyone?
 

There are probably dozens more - everything this weekend happened so fast, I can't remember them all. 

 

I just want to remember that I love this little girl - she's not an angel but infinitely more interesting.

Bubbles

[insert absolutely adorable picture of grandkids chasing bubbles.  I can't find it]



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"No!" the Duchess cried out loudly.  "No! Don't get the bubbles off! Nooooooo! Not with the tickle water!"

I went to see why the bathroom sounded like a Fourth of July battle at Water World.  

Oh.  Bathtime.

'Tickle water' is the handheld shower head.

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"Bobbooo!  Bobboooo!"

18-month-old Oots pronounces 'bubbles' like 'bob-boo' and of course wants to hold the bubble stick himself.   He earnestly pumps the bubble wand in the bubble cup and, with more enthusiasm than accuracy, attempts to create bubbles. 

He doesn't like it when someone else blows the bubbles.

Much like his mother, not a follower, not a chaser of other people's bubbles, but determined to make his own.

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Words of... wisdom? encouragement? something anyway - from the five-year-old Duchess.

"Good job on the bubbles, Lovey," she stated solemnly as she watched the sink fill with hot water and bubbles, getting ready to wash dishes.

She was right. I did do a good job.

Learning to talk

I love the babies.  Even the one who is 10 years old. But the most fun are the ones just learning to communicate.

19-month-old Lucky relating a conversation, an argument it seems, between "Mama" and "Rora", gestulating, turning from side to side, facial expressions, full on drama:

"Rora, Mama, Daddy, bitabitabita ahoppa DOWN... Rora Mama MAMA RORA animita baortisor OH NO atipado..." and so it goes. 

Enunciating her words - those words in her own language - so carefully.  I can hear bits and pieces of words and phrases that I know she has overheard. She doesn't know what they mean, not really, but she has heard them enough to try to repeat them. 

At the end of the story, she looks up expectantly, waiting for ... what?  Applause?  Comments?  Not sure. But I responded, wide-eyed, and interested, "And then what?" only to receive a slightly disparaging look indicating that I have somehow missed the point.

Just a couple of short months ago, I could respond with a breathless, "Really?!?" to which she would reply, firmly, "Yeth!"  It would make me laugh, and she was sure I was in complete agreement with her.  Now that her stories have gotten more complex,  she quietly demands more understanding, and is frustrated that I don't understand all of her attempts at language.

I know I will love communicating with her, and knowing what she wants, and hearing her stories.  But I know I'm going to miss that innocent baby language that is all her own.