This is something I hear every time we go out in the car. Miss Pie is at that gorgeous age where her words are finally coming together, albeit not always sounding the way they should. Yesterday, I heard her first three-word sentence when her apple was all eaten: "Eat. More. Apple!" A proud mumma moment for me - compared to the Faery, Miss Pie's speech seemed to be coming along so much more slowly. In hindsight, her big sister was somewhat of a freak when to came to speech development (eighty words by fourteen months, I kid you not).
So much of what Mis Pie says can have several meanings, depending on the context. If she sees something round anywhere - even better if there are numbers on it - then she'll exclaim, "TWO! TWO! TWO!" Meaning? Clock. So I'll reply, "Yes, a clock" or "Yes, it looks like a clock", then she'll say "I-O-I-O-I-O". Tick tock tick tock tick tock.
When it comes to animals, she delights in making the sounds that they make. Don't all toddlers? But her latest one is baffling me. "Hort! Hort! Hort!" That part is easy enough: horse. Then the sound follows, "Haba haba haba", in a sing song voice, intonation going down. Almost like a little Arabic nursery rhyme's chorus.
I'd love to meet a horse that sounds like that, but I'm yet to encounter one.
Anyhow, back to "Gag!" Initially, I thought she was talking about bags, because that's also her word for bag. But, you know, there aren't really a lot of bags to be pointed at out of car windows, are there?
Something that is plentiful, though, are flags. The good old stars and stripes. Maybe it's just our area in LA, but we'd be hard pressed to go more than two blocks without seeing the US flag. Some blocks will have many US flags on show.
Compared to Australians, Americans love their flag.
There may be eucalyptus trees in abundance here, but there's no forgetting what country I'm in.
Adorable - her talking is really coming along and it sounds like she's at that point where the speech really starts coming together. It is true that they are all very different and it is interesting to see how it plays out in each child. She's certainly a bright little button.
ReplyDeleteThe Americans do love their flag - it's one of the things I really like about them is their sincere love of their flag and their country. I think it's because I'm so used to the Australian way of doing things that it is rather refreshing by contrast.
(BTW Obama is here and it is an absolute frenzy. Not quite up to the knicker-throwing of the Clinton era but impressive nonetheless.)
Very sweet :o) Little one's and their words. My Lucas (3) replaces the word truck for fuck and uses it in abundance as he spots them as we drive along. I then say yes a TRRRUCK, which he replies, yes fuck...hours of fun right there. Yesterday he had his Nanna looking for Shazza at the park....the penny dropped for her last night when she realised he didn't have an imaginary friend Sharon - aka Shazza but he was looking for treasure...hours of fun really isn't it? xxx
ReplyDeleteSorry for the repetition in my last comment - it took 3 attempts to send so in retyping it I have kept saying the same thing...silly me :oP
ReplyDeleteMaybe the "Gag! Gag! Gag!" is a reflex to overt patriotism? I mean, she is an Aussie....
ReplyDeleteLoved this post! It just all tied in beautifully - I especially loved the flag flanked by the eucalyptus trees.
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Mel - Very different takes on patriotism between the two countries, aren't there? I hope Obama is having a good time - if only I could have snuck on as a stowaway on Air Force One...
ReplyDeleteJen - Lovely to see you back! You weren't repetitive - silly you. You made perfect sense. My brother used to say truck the same way, for a long time.
I've been thinking of you and your family, and hope you're doing as well as can be. xxx
Angie - Thank you. Today? Haba haba haba has a new application - to be sounded out as baby doll is made to stomp along on all surfaces...
That seems about right.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we Americans do love to fly that gag. But I'm telling you, I grew up in Texas, and Texans are even worse about their state flag. I mean, in CA, we only see our state flag here and there, but Texans plaster it everywhere!
ReplyDeleteThank you dear friend xxx
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