Name That

This week I have been thinking about some of the interesting ways my little girl has chosen to name things in her world. I know this is a combination of what sounds are phonetically easier for her to say with what she is hearing. Nevertheless, it is fun to hear the world as described by a two year old. It is especially fun if you get a few of them together, since the world sounds very different depending on which two year old you ask.

My eldest son (and only, thus far revealed to me), was a master of words at two. He was speaking in full sentences and would tell you ALL about his day if you chanced to ask him. His world was more *interesting* (and by that I mean darn funny) to hear about when he was about one. He just happened to be able to repeat sounds a lot smoother and faster than his little sister. Still to this day, he reads and comprehends at a pace his older sisters cannot even understand. It's so enchanting to me how diverse and different each one of my children are. God truly makes them each an individual. I can't wait to meet the little person growing inside of me now. Or shall I say, turning, standing, poking, and jabbing inside of me as s/he is running out of room in my crowded womb.

So my littlest one, thus far breathing air, has some cute sayings for simple things. For instance, a "duke" is a drink. She does the sign for drink and tries to say it at the same time. But it's not a drink, it's a Duke, like in the Royal Family. Duh - aren't there little royalties sitting around your kitchen just waiting to be drunk?

Another one that makes me laugh very much is what she calls these little fellas - Mimis, like "mee-mees". Well, of course. I always knew they were mimis. I was just afraid to be the only one to call them that.

And her word for milk - new. I am not sure how she came upon that, but that's what it sounds like. And we're not talking about cow's milk here, we're talking boobs. She can clearly sign this word also and we always used that sign for nursing. So now, even though she has self-weaned (I hope only temporarily) every time she sees me getting dressed or undressed, or in & out of the shower, she looks at me, signs, and says very loudly in her little high pitched voice, "New, new, new, NEW!! NEW!!" And I say, "Yes honey, milks. Would you like some?" And she replies ever so sweetly, "No." Not a mean or disinterested "no", just a polite and informative kind of no, like "No thank you Mama. I don't want any. I just wanted to make sure you know what they're called. Seems you do. I'll be on my way now."

She has also started pulling her own shirt down and showing me her "new". Too cute. I wonder if she'll give one of her "babies" some "new" once she sees our little baby getting "new".

Among showing us these body parts, she also shows her ba-ba, which of course, is a belly button. And she has been grabbing her DUH-DUH while in the tub quite a bit to show me where it is. Duh-duh is apparently the correct phonetic pronunciation for vulva. Just thought you should know.

Her words for eye, ear, and nose are ironically enough all very close to how you and I would say them. I had to throw that in there after mentioning that she knows where her breasts and vulva are. Didn't want any one out there to think that just because I'm a midwife (in training as it may be) that the only body parts I teach my kids about are the ones that involve birthing and feeding babies. I did start with the basics, which I feel for every child is to tell them about their nose.

Of course, having a midwife for a mom means that my 8-yr-old boy does occasionally surprise complete strangers when he comments on menstrual cycles or placentas. I'm waiting for when my daughter is 6 or 7 and at a friend's house commenting on how well so and so's vuvla was doing after pushing out her 8 lb. little baby - and being promptly phoned and asked to pick her up. Oh well. Maybe she'll keep calling it a DUH-DUH and they'll just think she's a little odd. "Why is this little girl talking about Mrs. Sampson's DUH-DUH? What a poor and confused little child."

Back to funniness - What's a poo-poo? Nope, get your head of the gutter. It's not any kind of excrement. It's a......da ta da.....movie. Specifically a "baby movie". Doesn't your little one go to the VCR/DVD player and point at it saying "poo-poo" when she wants to watch a movie. Ours does. It has to be a Signing Time, Baby Einstein, or Blue's Clues or it just doesn't count. Right now our favorite is the "Leah's Farm" Signing Time, which I think is Volume 7. After watching it 107 times, my little girl can now sign "chicken". "You make the sign for bird then peck at the ground, just like a chicken feeding," as Rachel would say. It's darn cute too. She says, "ick..nnn", which is really good for her trying to say chicken. She has also picked up "frog" - or the sign for it anyway. When she says it, it sounds just like "dog", which she can say very well. So now when she says "dog" we have to look at what sign she's doing to see what she's talking about.

They are the greatest little blessings out there. I am constantly reminded that there is a simpler way to look at the world, especially through the eyes of my children. It's so nice of them to remind us that life doesn't need to be so complicated, so complex and abstruse. There is a much more genuine and humble world we partake in where you can watch your poo-poo with a little container of mimis and a nice cold duke in your hands, all the while knowing your Mama is right behind you ready to cuddle you with new if need be or requested.

Life can be simple and content without bells and whistles.

~H