Baby Talk

I guess it must be tough being three. I wouldn’t think that just by watching my three-year-old daughter, who is tough as nails. But I mean, it must be tough with everything being new to you… and not having the words all the time. I know I hate being new. I hate, (yep, I said hate), being new to stuff. I quite prefer being the resident expert. Why? Because I am crazy enough to think that if I keep my life simple enough and work really hard, that maybe I could someday perfect it. That might seem silly or unattainable, but I do. Everyday, I try to be a little better at packing my son’s lunch, try to do better at bedtime, try to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, trying to have the perfect life. And as it so happens, I feel like I am always falling short. So, I try to understand my daughter when she gets frustrated or emotional, which is a lot. And then, I listen to her words and try to understand what she needs and where she’s coming from. And sometimes, that comes with some funny surprises, some I hope I never forget.

Lord, please don’t ever let me forget the beauty of the simple times. Like, how, when nature calls, we “go peep.” When we wash our hair, we use “shampoop”. Also, how a cup of sweet tea is called, “emp-tee,” which has caused more confusion than you would think. How the dog has to go outside when she “parks” too much, and how she “wiggles” her tail when she wants to play. When we love on the cat, it’s called “pedaling her” which is better than what normal people would do, to pet her. And how, on our way to school, we point out the “water mountains” (water towers), and we call out every slide we’ve ever been on… “There’s the yellow slide, Mom! Do you remember the yellow slide?” I guess, sort of like we adults talk about restaurants, my daughter points out the slides, as if to say, “that one was nice… I’d go there again…” I love how every vegetable is a “ma-ta-to” (mah-tay-toe). The song, Skid-a-marink (ah-dink-ah-dink) is “Stinky rinky too,” every time. “Xylophones” are headphones. And boy, how she loves to wear her shake-shake (skirt)! But she doesn’t like to wear them with “pant-socks,” which are otherwise know as tights. Remind me how much fun it was watching her hop like a “pangaroof,” or “scaping” (skating) around in her socks on the smooth tile floor. And how when it rains, we jump in the puddles and play with the “humbella”. And please, please let me never forget the excitement in her eyes as she says, “Mom, what’s the moon doing back here…? It missed us!” Yes, baby. It missed us. That’s why it’s back.

Let me never forget. Oh, this, my little one. I love her little spirit. She makes it so enough. Life full enough. Happy enough. Kids don’t worry about things being perfect. To them, things just are. I am so lucky I have them to remind me of these things. They’re doing a pretty good job raising me, if I do say so myself.