Life Skills

I remember when I was helping G learn to walk that I kept thinking how amazing it was that I was teaching him something he was going to use every single day for the rest of his life (God willing), it really moved me to get to have that kind of impact on a person (yes, I realize that's a weird thing to say as his mother, hopefully that's not the only impact I'll have, but you catch my meaning).

But now that he is really in the thick of learning to speak, I find myself having those thoughts again. To hear him sounding out words that he's trying to say for the first time, the grin on his face when we understand, his patience as Erik and I try to decipher what exactly he's trying to say when it sounds like he's being inappropriate:

Cock = Clock
Fuack = Rock
Pain = Plane (which = Grandma - because my mother comes on a plane to visit us)

The other morning he was dipping his blackberries in yogurt and said "Diiiippping berries!" I was so proud. I think it's his first sensical collection of words. He's been putting words together for awhile - forming what I call "toddler sentences", and they make sense to us because we communicate with him regularly, but they aren't full-fledged sentences. Anyway, I definitely had a proud mom moment.

It's so much fun to teach him new words. He understands SO much - he can identify about 12 colors by matching, or if you say "find the white fish" on a page full of fish, but if you ask him what color something is the answer is always blue.

I always find myself eager to see what he says next! I've decided to start journaling (separately from this for the sake of my readership) his vocabulary monthly. I don't want to forget the things he says that will only be in our family vernacular for awhile, like "shause" (sauce), and "cheese peas!" (cheese please), as well as "yee-haw" for horse - a favorite of mine.

For all it's struggles, the twos have brought a lot of fun as well. I know that within this year those tiny "toddler sentences" will work their way out and full-on sentences will take their place. And soon he'll wonder why Erik and I say "shank shoo" to each other or refer to Milk as "muck". I hope we never stop, though.