I Do Write

Lovebug is really starting to talk. Even if he often leaves out challenging syllables. But at least now his tantrums only stem from being told "no" instead of also stemming from my inability to understand him. I think it's cut down on tantrums by at least one third. And when a child's tantrums consist of tears and screaming for extended periods AND kicking AND head-butting, even one less per day is nice.

I think I'm discovering a lot about Lovebug's personality through how his language is developing. For example, the child eschews all adjectives - even colors. I think this means he's not going to be detail-oriented. This prediction was brought home at yesterday's playdate, where Lovebug ran up to another brown-haired mom in tears. He clung to her legs until he realized that I was standing NEXT to her. We were even wearing different colored pants. The child doesn't notice even obvious details.

I also think Lovebug is going to be the type to take action. Every verb he utters is preceded by the phrase, "I do." As in, "I do help, I do clean, I do play." He's very sure of what he's doing and he's always doing something. The only time he doesn't use the "I do" is when he's saying, "kiss" or "hug".

Which brings me to my third personality insight. He's so affectionate. "Hug" was one of his first ten words. I really hope that this stays part of his personality. Otherwise I think he's doomed to become an action-hero or something. And then what would we talk about?

Conversations With My Children

Yesterday, 6:30pm:

Me: Ironflower, do you think you could be quiet for a moment so I can talk. . .

Ironflower: I DON'T WANT TO BE KWI-ETTT! I HATE KWI-ETTTTTTT!!!!!

Me: Ironflower, how about using your whisper voice then?

Ironflower: I DON'T HAVE A WHISPER VOOOOIIIIICE!

This morning, 7am:

Me: Good morning, Lovebug! I'm so happy to see you.

Lovebug: Nnnnnnsssss (that means nurse).

Me: Okay, let's nurse.

(Pausing for nursing time)

Lovebug (pulling himself off) : yeah,yeah,yeah, yesssss!

My Talking Prodigy

My daughter is almost two and a half. She is beautiful (no, really, strangers tell me so all the time), spirited and smart. I love her to distraction. But sometimes I really, really wish she would stop talking. Just for five minutes or so.

Last summer we visited my cousin, who has a son about ten months older than Ironflower. He was two and a half to her twenty months, and I remember being so glad that Ironflower didn't talk all the time like G. did. I actually thought it was a personality thing, not a developmental thing. Haha on me.

Someday she will be a sullen teenager and I will not be privy to every thought she is having. I will look back fondly at this time, as I try to unobtrusively eavesdrop on the conversations she has with friends. But that time is not here yet. And today I'm rather looking forward to it.

My daughter doesn't merely have monologues about the Backyardigans and the challenges of putting up with her one year old brother. Ironflower likes her monologues punctuated with appropriate one-liners from me. Always reminds me of helping Hot Guy practice lines for one Shakespearean tragedy or another. Miss those one or two lines from the other characters and poor hubby's practice is all messed up. Ironflower, too, feels messed up if I miss a line. If I have the audacity to ignore her (however briefly), she will just get louder and louder until I come up with the right response.

Sometimes I imagine that when my son learns to really talk, he will be able to take over these duties from me. I can see why Ironflower isn't satisfied with ess (yes), uh (up), dada, ice (rice) and ns (nurse). But then I think, what if he likes to talk as much as he does? What if I have to start listening to two toddlers' monologues ALL DAY?