Yappity yap yap

I think this post will probably bore most of you, but I wanted to ruminate a bit on language acquisition. Hee hee, have I already lost you? It's amazing. Toddlers are amazing, how much they learn and how quickly they learn it.

Almost exactly a year ago Brooke and I made a list of the words the girls knew, and Kenley knew about 30 words (including Mommy, Daddy, shoe, bye-bye, etc.). Then around Halloween, just six months ago, I remember being impressed because she said her most advanced sentence yet: "I want candy IN MY MOUTH!" And now, oh man. She is just this little person that says things like, "What is this blue on my leg? Hmmm... maybe it's marker," and, "Can I please break these markers apart Daddy?" and, "I can't reach it by myself!" All of that in a year! And using these phrases that are sort of abstract concepts too, like "reaching." It's so cool to me.

I'm telling you, toddlers are unbelieveable. They learn these phrases on their own, their little brains hear you say something, file it away, and use it in the correct context at some later date. I love hearing her say new words. "Actually, I want to wear the pink shirt." "That is Cinderella getting married." She is hard to understand, but she's a good little talker.

A funny phrase she uses right now is, "That doesn't match!" It has two meanings to her - one, that something is in the wrong place, and two, that something doesn't make sense in her head. A toy in the wrong spot? That doesn't match! Our dog Lucy is actually Daddy's doggy and not hers? That doesn't match! It always makes me laugh.

But her best phrase of all is the spontaneous "I love you!" Oh, I love it! What could be better than that sweet little face piping up from the back seat, "I yuv you Mommy! So much!" Awwww....