Balderdash

Language acquisition is such a tricky thing.   It's repetition, repetition, repetition.   With a whole lot of experimentation thrown in.   Which is the tricky part, but also the fun part.

The quirky ways that preschoolers find to communicate truly amaze me.   So I am usually in no rush to correct them.   Even though that is appalling to a handful of people I know.   Who can be vocal about their opinions.

But since they are not raising my children, I mostly ignore their criticism.   And enjoy the creative ways my little ones express themselves.   R has a whole arsenal of words that she has either made up or altered.   I love them all.   And I have thus far encouraged her use of them with no attempt at correcting her.   This language creativity is so short lived.   I want to enjoy every moment, every syllable.   Besides, I don't have to share her with the world.   Not yet.   Not for another whole week when she starts preschool.

For now, she's mine.   All mine.   And I will cherish that.

When R is hungry, she asks for a girly bar (granola bar) or a chupe (lettuce leaf).   When she is bored, she goes to find a bud (older brother or matchbox car--these are interchangeable) to play with.   Or she finds her 'puter (computer) to type with.   Or she lingers after a bath for a little slip-n-slide.   Or she makes up stories in which bad guys make a cameo appearance every single time.   Or she finds her ninjer bag (purse) with bracelet and toy lipstick to make herself a pretty ninjer.   When she wants to walk with us to take the other kids to school, she insists on wearing her back sack.   And on the way, she is sure to look for penny mennies.   When she's tired, she likes to sleep in the cotton (on the cot).   She said she had so much fun the night she did that.  Slept in the cotton, that is.

Sometimes she sees squirlers in the trees out in the wide, wide worlerd.   And one day a handicapped bus parked in front of the house.   She heard her siblings talk about it and came to give me a report.   She told me there was a handy-candy bus parked outside.   And later, when Shaggy came home, she reported to him that the handy-dandy bus had come to our house.

Tonight at dinner she informed us all that she can jump over the water all the way up to space.  Even when she's holding a bunch of peoples.  And later, she told us that she had used up all her bad power.  How?  By bouncing all day and night.  (She recently inherited one of those ride on bouncy balls from the attic fairy.)

These days she is always waving her arms around and sushing us because  "Wait!   I have to tell you sompin!"   Or,  "Shhhhh!   Shhhh!   Shhhh!   It's my turn to talk!"   Even when she is interrupting.   Of course, with seven people in the family, someone is pretty much always interrupting someone else.

When she says clap, it sounds like she's saying crap.

She is vocal and opinionated and decisive.   She is not possessive.   She is unbelievably excited to attend preschool.   Which is an unbelievable relief to me, considering my last preschool experience.

When her older siblings were getting ready to attend the first day of school, R got ready for school, too.   I thought she did a pretty good job.   Back sack?   Check.   Hair combed?   Check.   Ninjer bag?   Check.

Clothes?   Ummm . . . well, we have a week to work on that.