As usual, when Kyle spends a bunch of time with my father, his language skills increase. He’s been getting better at pronouncing words that he has had difficulty with in the past, like “galaxy.”
We were all driving from one place to another in the minivan my parents rented for us for the duration of the stay. (Many, many cupholders. Sweet.) We passed one of my former places of employ, a hospital. I said “Kyle, look! It’s the hospital!”
“Hots-tip-al!” he cried.
So I repeated the word “hospital” and he answered, like about 1,000 times. But it worked because by the end of the exercise, he was shouting “Hos-pi-TAL!” like a native English speaker. And he whipped out “Gal-a-XY!” just to show off.
The next week, Kyle got a front row seat to his first thunderstorm. The storm passed over my parents’ house without any rain (the rain met us at the outdoor restaurant later, but that’s another story), so Kyle frolicked on the front porch listening to the thunder and looking for “lightming.”
We used it as a verbal exercise. “Say light-NING,” I prompted.
He stretched out his lips and slowly said “Light…MING.”
“No, light-NING.”
“Light-MING.”
“No, Light-NING.”
“Light-MING.”
“No, Light-NING.”
(beat)
“Ho-spi-TAL!”
Since we got back to California, we have been looking at all of the pictures I took. When we get to Auntie Laura, he practices, drawing out the L and stumbling over the R.
“LLLLLaaaurrrwwra!”
But he still can’t say the words Auntie and Laura together. Now it comes out “Auntie Waura!” But it won’t be long until he can actually say it. So, Auntie Rola, savor your special status while you can. Gramma and Grampa fondly remember when they were called “Mia” and “Bapa.”
Have him practice with “linoleum,” the L word from an old Sesame Street episode.
This makes me think of Cosette, who talks and talks and talks but we don’t always understand her so we are left saying “what? What? What did you say? did you understand what she said?” What a fun age! 😉
It’s been a long time since I checked out your blog, but it is a delight to catch up.
I have been having trouble letting go lately with Reece begging for solid foods. Doesn’t that herald the end of my significance as mommy-soother?
But your snippits of life bring a new excitement of things to come, to the day when Reece learns words and creates nicknames for our crew.
Thank you.