OK, this language learning thing is getting out of control. I am flabbergasted by how quickly the girls are picking up words and making connections between things now. Almost every day, something comes out of their mouths that surprises and astounds me. The other day we were reading a book together -- many of you probably know it: it's that Sandra Boynton one where all the animals have on different colored clothes, and the turkey always screws up, putting the socks on his wings or the pants on his head or whatever: "Oops!" At the end (SPOILER ALERT!) the turkey finally gets it right and puts all his clothes on the right way, and then proceeds to jump into a pool. ("Oops!")
Now, I have read this book to the girls a number of times before, but I wouldn't say it's been in heavy rotation. When I read it to them the other day, it was the first time in a while. But wouldn't you know it, when we got to the last page, Elsa pointed and said "pool!" How did she know that? She's never been in a pool, has only seen one a few times, from afar, and as far as I know her main exposure to the word would have been through occasional reading of this book. And yet, there it was, clear as chlorinated water before a clothed turkey has jumped into it: "pool!" This word -- like so many others -- was apparently just sitting there in the recesses of her little brain, waiting for an occasion to be used.
And Clio -- well, don't even get me started on Clio. That girl is becoming a multisyllabic demon, eager to repeat long words and two-word phrases. She has recently added "soccer ball" "basketball" "applesauce" and "Goodnight Moon" to her vocabulary. The other night, just after I'd kissed the girls goodnight and turned out the light, there came the sound of an engine roaring past outside, and Clio piped up "Motorcycle!"
What's even more fun are the associations they are starting to make on their own between objects, words, and ideas. Last week at playgroup, Elsa took a fireplace out of the dollhouse there and handed it to me saying "Hush! Hush!" It looked almost exactly like the fireplace in "Goodnight Moon."
And my final, favorite bit of recent linguistic cuteness: the other day, Clio was peering into a case of wine that Alastair had just bought and set down in the kitchen floor. She pointed at the bottles and said "Mommy Daddy juice." Yes, indeed.
Apologies for the paucity and pbbbtness of posts lately, by the way. The old demon that starts with a D has reared its boring, stupid, ugly head again and I've been having a tough couple of weeks. More on that, plus, some darn cute pictures of the girls dressed up like ballerinas, to come soon....
