the miracle of speech

Yvette is 2 years and 2 months, and just in the last few days has she started using the English language to any effect. Up until now, she got whatever she wanted from her brother and sisters by screaming and hitting and pointing. She had a twelve word vocabulary, but the first six words sounded exactly like the last six. And "no" meant yes AND no, and it was up to us to figure out what she was trying to say before the screaming and hitting started again.

 

not exactly sure what she's doing in this picture: getting ready to spit a mouth full of water? making faces with someone? getting ready to scream?

But now? Actual words! And it's not all Ewok, either. I'm so glad. Today's word is POMPASS. That's a princess. The older girls were dressing up and dancing to music, so she had to strip down and dress up to join in. Yvette's idea of dressing up is very eclectic. Just now she came up to me wearing Gabba's pink skirt up over her shoulders like "Barbie as a Druid" and said, "Mahm! Uh pompass!" (translation: look, Mommy, I'm a princess!) It's so cute, especially when you think about what she actually said, and what she really meant.