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Favorite Almost Words

We have had a lot of conversations in our house about how to deal with language. We have chosen to go the each one speak one route with Richard speaking to Peanut in English (mostly...) and me speaking to her in Spanish (mostly...). Because the rest of the world here talks to her in Spanish, it is definitely her default option, but she understands a lot of English and pulls out things sometimes that just surprises the heck out of both of us. There is a lot more to be said about language issues, but for now we will stick with a quick list of my favorite Peanut almost words. Or better said, the words Peanut uses to stand in for the words she means until she can get her mouth adjusted a little bit more.

1. Bi-bo (or possibly Bee-beaux, I have never asked) - this comes from Spanish "ombligo" or belly button. When Peanut first discovered her bi-bo she would lift up her shirt every couple of minutes to look at it - perhaps checking to see if it was still there. Then she discovered that other people had bi-bos too, and...well, just keep your shirt tucked in when you visit. I must admit that I love this word so much that I have almost stopped saying ombligo just so it will stick around. Quite frankly I could be happy if we called it bi-bo for the rest of our lives, and even if Peanut does not, I just might. Damn the language stickler gods!

2. Balita - this comes from Spanish "abuelita" or grandmother. It is the name for my mom, and while she could not say it at all for a while, now Peanut yells it out with gusto. In fact, I should probably have spelled it Ba-LEEE-Tah! Mom tried really hard for a while to be "Lita", but as with most facing down Peanut's astounding ability to say one's name over and over and over and over again, she gave in. Balita it is.

3. Cacago - this is meant to be Chicago. Marylen gave her a book called "Good Night Chicago" (part of her PR campaigning), and Peanut loves it. I like the book having lived in Chicago, but it did not strike me as a particularly easy book to identify with otherwise, and yet Peanut asks for it regularly. She even noted that the little girl outside the water tower was also reading "Cacago." Color me impressed.

This is another Cacago book from Marylen (campaigning...).  Peanut opened up to this page and said "PIZZA!" It doesn't take long.

4. Bubby-bee - Bumblebee, obviously. This stemmed from the song "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" which Balita taught her, but it now goes with eating ware provided by Marylen too. Wait, maybe this post should have been about stuff Marylen gave me...

I think there are actually a lot more that belong on this list, but they have become so "normal" that I don't even realize they aren't right anymore. Boy communicating in the US this fall is going to be fun... ;)

Hanging Out

Please don't call child services.

No really.

 I'm right there.

I swear. 

 Laughing my *** off...

¿Ño?

Yes, I do owe you photos and stories from the birthday extravaganza. No, this post is not going to have any of them. Here is the thing. If I keep waiting to post anything until I get enough time to get everything together for that birthday post...well, let's just say you will miss a lot and I will go crazy. We don't want any of that, am I right? 

So, because things are literally changing around here every day, I am going to jump in this nap time glory moment to give you a Peanut-ism we are thoroughly enjoying.

 

Peanut loves the phone. 

We do not have a land line, but she watches us talk on our cell phones several times a day. For a while, every time the phone rang, she would quickly put her hand up to her ear and look around until we answered the phone. Saying "briiiiiing, briiiiiing!" did not mean anything to her, but if she caught even the tail end of a faint electronic possibly-it-could-be-a-ring-tone sound -- well buddy, that hand was on her ear in a flash. It was pretty hilarious, and we thought it was awfully stinkin' cute...until it got even cuter.

 The other day we realized that the Nutter had a new word. Every time she would put her hand to her ear (with one of our phones or without) she would say, "¿Ño, Ño?" In Colombia, when people answer the phone they say "¿Alo?"  It sounds a lot like "Hello" really, but for some reason Peanut comes out with something that sounds like a cross between "No" (like huh-uh, I don't think so) and "Anyong" (or 안넹 which is a Korean greeting, used as we might use hello). We knew she was smart, but heeeeyyyyy...

At any rate, now she not only says "¿Ño?" when the phone rings, but also says it when the phone isn't ringing (confusing...) if she wants the phone. Got it? 

The best is to watch her play with our neighbor, her abuelo Alex, who will even call her on one of our phones just to watch her gawk in horror as the cell phone in her hand actually rings and has a voice come out. Remember, she is (already and yet) only one year old. She likes the phone, but she doesn't really get the phone. Usually when she realizes that something is actually happening with the thing in her hand, she passes it off like a hot potato. Well, either that, or she starts punching buttons like mad - basically making the caller on the other end of the line go deaf, but whatever.

Another day I will tell you about all the new functions Peanut has taught me on my phone. Well, as soon as I figure out how to unblock the keypad.

 And don't worry; one day I will get that birthday post up.  Just don't hold your breath.

Ever Just Had THAT Kind of Day?

In case you have, we just wanted to be in solidarity.