Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Communication Skills

It is truly amazing the speed at which toddlers acquire and use new words.  Just a month ago, Caleb wasn't really saying much, but, now, he seems to be picking up new words every day.  And actually using them correctly.  I don't know who was more surprised - him or me - when he said he wanted some more cheese and I actually understood him (and brought him more cheese, of course).  Now we're practically carrying on in-depth conversations on the origins of life on planet Earth...well, maybe we're not quite there yet, but we're working on it.
While I understand Caleb (most of the time), I recognize that it may be difficult for those of you not well-versed in toddler communication skills.  Here's a short list of Caleb's most commonly used words (and his special pronunciations):
No - "No" (spoken like a native French speaker while forming a large circle with the mouth)
Uh oh - "Uh oh" (spoken with a very grave and foreboding tone)
No No - "Nanu" (think Mork from "Mork and and Mindy")
Outside - "Zide" (almost spoken like the name "Sayid")
Door - "Doh" (a la Homer Simpson - makes for a funny trip down the freezer aisle at the grocery store)
More - "Moh" (see Door, above)
Cracker - "Ga Ga" (repeated over and over again in a never-ending sequence of "Ga", for added emphasis)
Kitty Kitty - "Ki Ki"
Amen - "Ah Man" (as in, "Ah, man! I can't believe the Sea Hawks lost the Super Bowl!")
Banana - "Nana"
Onion - "Nunyun"
Cheese - "Geez" (like "geese" but with a "Z" sound at the end)
Cantaloupe - "Lub Lub" (with great emphasis on the "L" sound - really sticking the tongue out each time)
Muffin - "Mmmm" (like you're just on the verge of adding something to the "M" sound but never actually doing so)
Oh No - "Ah No" (see No above but spoken with an even thicker French accent)
Life sure is a lot of fun when you never know if you're going to be eating dinner with Homer Simpson, Mork, or Jacques Cousteau (or all three)!






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