things I hear

Kate's verbal ability has just exploded over this summer. At the beginning of the summer she was saying a few phrases & words & many of them were quite babyish (tank-a-da, etc). These days you can carry a conversation with her that (for the most part) makes a lot of sense. She also comes up with her own combinations. She talks a lot & practices words a lot. For instance, she typically calls a computer, "puter", but this afternoon, I heard her whisper "com" and then say "puter" loud. She was trying it out!

One of the phrases that isn't that particularly endearing is "no like." She certainly didn't learn THAT from me, but she uses it all of the time. It has a variety of applications beyond its most basic meaning. It can mean she doesn't want something, doesn't want any more of that thing, doesn't like what a certain person is doing, etc. This can make for some frustrating (and amusing) conversations.

Kate: "no like Lydia."
Mommy: "say sorry Lydia."
Kate: "Sorry Lydia."

even funnier.
Kate: "no like nakies." Thinks mom will get after her so quickly follows up with: "sorry nakies"

singing at bedtime.
Kate (requests): Jesus
Mommy: Jesus loves me, this I know.
Kate (interrupts): no like Jesus
Mommy (thinks to herself): Not good!

counting
Mommy: Let's count, Kate.
Kate: one, two three, four, nine, six, eight-nine-ten (she says the last three all together)
Mommy: Kate, can you say FIVE?
Kate: I can't!

She loves patterns in speech. She loves that I say You're welcome when she says Thank you. She loves that I say, I forgive you, when she says sorry. She loves it so much, she can carry on the entire conversation by herself!

Kate: Sorry, momma.
Kate: 'Give you.

Kate: Tank you.
Kate: Welcome!

Kate: Read to me?
Kate: Sure!

And, last but certainly most endearing. . . she says, "Hold you" instead of "Hold me." And, boy, she says that a lot!