Learning a language

One of the things that I've found to be the most amazing about raising kids is watching someone learn a language. It's not like learning a second language, it's learning one from scratch. It truly is remarkable in just 2 years' time how well a child can talk and understand. And once they start, they are just like parrots! They talk nonstop, and they repeat EVERYTHING.

Of course not everything always comes out as intended, such as the video of her saying "fire truck." Several months ago, she was going around the house saying, "To finny, an ee-on!" It took us about a week to figure out she was quoting Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story -- "To infinity, and beyond!!"

Then there was the phase where her "elbow" was her "elmo" -- I'm sure you can guess why she was confused with that one!

She also likes to make up her own names for things. For instance, mittens are her "gobbles." Her fruit roll-up treats are "lollipops." And my personal favorite is the name she came up with for my nursing pads that I put in my bra (you know, so I don't leak through my shirt). She calls them, fittingly, "booby bibs."

I also try to introduce new words to her each day. I'll say the word and have her repeat it. A couple of days ago I brought out the humidifier to help us breathe since all of us are so stuffed up. I told her "humidifier" and she did her best to repeat it. As I was refilling it last night she says, "You're filling up the firefighter!" Well...she was close!

And then there are the grammar problems. For instance, she always says, "I need my vitamins take!" And the other night she felt my feet and said, "Ooooh mommy, your feet are really cold! They're freezer!"

Or like today, she noticed that a picture that Chris had drawn for her last night was ripped. She says, "We need to fix it with some spitty cake!" That would be sticky tape, which is used in about 95% of all Dora and Mickey Mouse cartoons.

But man, for a 2-year-old to know so much and talk so well is just amazing to me.