Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Erudite

Maybe her problem has been (as Mad suggests) that she's growing and growing and growing. Maybe it's a cognitive leap. Let me tell you, she's just had another major jump in language.

Herewith, some of the crazy stuff my kid has said this week. I have not altered the syntax. These are examples of unbroken monologues:

1. At breakfast this morning, engrossed by a bowl of raisin bran: "Mom? Can you help me to use my spoon to dig out another raisin? No? I will use my little baby fingers, as well. Where are you, raisin? I will eat you!"

2. At bedtime with Pynchon a couple of nights ago, after I had gone out to work: "I know, Daddy. I have an idea. We will get in the car and we will drive fast fast to Mommy's work. I will climb the stairs to Mommy's office and I will grab her and we will bring her home."

3. Recounting adventures at preschool: "I played in the snow and I was on the toboggan with Matteo and we went SLIDING down the big hill and we fell down again and again. It was so much fun!"

4. This morning, playing: "Mom? Tober the tiger is afraid. Afraid of the dragon! Would you like to help me find the dragon? Where could he be? I don't know! Is he in the bathroom? I know! Let's find him! Come with me, vamanos, Mom!"

5. Peering into the drawer that holds her 'pots' and 'pans' and 'sandwiches': "Sheepie? What are you doing here? You don't belong in the picnic, you go on the farm with the horsey and the cow. We will put you back there! Mom! Do you want to come with me? To put Sheepie on the farm? Come! Let's climb the stairs together, like fast turtles!"

We can hardly get a word in edgewise, maybe because we are increasingly sitting there listening to her with our own mouths hanging open at the most recent increase in the torrent of her words.

She is becoming noticeably more attuned to the finer points of grammar (not just pronouns but transitions and conjunctions--using, 'but' and 'and' and 'or' appropriately as well as 'also' and 'as well') and to idiom, correctly incorporating phrases like 'oh, my goodness' and 'last but not least' and 'have a lovely day' into her conversation. She'll pick up an emotional subtext from tone of voice and admonish the speaker to 'try to be happy!'. She is freaking us out.

Pretty soon she'll be narrating her own posts. For now, I'm trying not to say 'blog' around her, because then our secret will be out. Oh, my goodness.

8 comments:

ewe are here said...

I suspect she would get on well with Ramekin... he is much the same.


And I hear you about using the word 'blog' around him... my days are numbered if I do, I suspect.

Beck said...

My kids ask me to blog about certain things. The Girl has even been known to compose flowery odes to her that I am supposed to post. So yes. Do not let your munchkin get wind of your blog.

My kids have their phases synchronized right now, which is why mommy drinks.

Melanie D. said...

That is so cute! I love their dialogue, the way they think everything out loud. The other morning, our little guy was miffed when there wasn't room on the bed for him (what with his sister, the dog, and his PARENTS in their bed). He said, "Where's my spot? No, I will fall off. I need my own spot." The problem solving and sequence of it all struck me. Of course, he's not pronouncing his /r/ sound yet and is still dropping some end sounds. So at least he sounds like a toddler still.
I think the growing and growing and growing is a good guess. My mother is convinced that it's very painful and that a toddler who is inconsolably grumpy gets a tylenol for good measure. Just a thought?

Kyla said...

Oh! She's doing so well!! Verbal development is always so exciting, I think, not to mention adorable.

Jenifer said...

Growth all around then...it does seem like it must be exhausting in a way that comes out in cranky behavior once in a while. I love that fresh, new stage where they want to participate in conversations.

Amy Urquhart said...

Oh the cuteness. Although I have to say I'm not really shocked at how articulate she is given who her mother is...

Debbie said...

Awesome. I love listening to the chatter. My oldest can talk the whole 30 minute car ride to Grandma's house. My favourite is "What the heck?"

I'm sure growing is incredibly exhausting. And learning. Isn't that why children are supposed to sleep so much, to process all they've learned during the day?

Run ANC said...

Wow. Mouth agape.