Knock Knock
Last night Liam told his first joke -
Liam: Daht, Daht
Dada: Who's there?
Liam: Mooo
This is a version if Nathan's favorite knock knock joke - the Interrupting Cow.
After hearing Nathan tell it a few times Liam updated his version.
Nathan: Knock Knock
Mama: Who's there?
Nathan: Interrupting Cow
Mama: Interrupting C... Nathan: MOOOOOO
Liam: Daht, Daht
Dada: Who's there?
Liam: Ah ma da ma bah
Dada: Who's there?
Liam: Moooooooo
Language Development
Last week we had a speech specialist visit with Liam. For a highly communicative kid, his acquisition of words was slowing down and his overall communication style seemed to be regressing, so his developmental specialist thought it would be worth checking in with someone. Turns out his language is a bit delayed, even for his corrected age, but since he's spent the past month learning how to walk, this isn't totally unexpected.
Turns out he's also as cheeky as his big brother.
There is one day that stands out from Nathan's EI meetings around this age. He was having an "I'm not interested in doing anything with you" day and his developmental specialist was trying to coax him into participating.
Specialist: Do you want the Dog, the Bird, the Cat or the Pterodactyl? You don't have to say pterodactyl, you can just point to it.
Nathan: Tehdactle
Specialist (surprised): You want the pterodactyl?
Nathan: No.
Liam this past week with his specialist -
Specialist (to me): You can help him use more words by leaving off the last word in a sentence when reading a familiar book together, asking him about sounds animals make...
Me: I don't think I've ever asked him 'Liam, what does a cow say?'
Liam (playing with blocks next to me): MOOOO ... Knock, knock
Of course, he has not repeated this knowledge since. But he still tells a pretty good knock knock joke.
And now, for your listening pleasure (ie for my own record keeping and amusement) a list of Liam's current words. (as best I can remember)
Mama
Dada
Daddy
Buhbu (brother)
Nayna (Nathan - hasn't used for a while)
Batman
Banana
Apple
P-hee or P-heess (please)
All done
Up
More
Ball
Car
Vroom
Truck
Book
Hi
Bye-bye
And his signs:
More
All done
Please
Change (for diaper change)
Waves HI and BYE
Blows kisses
starting to sign Thank You
Got Milk?
Mama: Please drink your milk properly so that it does not make a milk mustache.
Nathan: But that's what milk's all about!
Does Santa have to have a beard?
This evening while reading God Gave Us Christmas, Nathan informed me:
Mama, Santa isn't really real. He's just people dressed up like him.
We don't make a big deal about Santa, Tim and I don't give presents "from Santa", any talk about gifts from Santa quickly gets redirected to gifts that can fit in a Christmas stocking, Nathan has seen the Veggies Tales St. Nicholas movie multiple times, but I guess since the world expects little kids who celebrate Christmas to believe in Santa and we haven't been outright against him, I just assumed Nathan would believe in Santa too and that some day, a number of years from now, we'd be dancing around the issue and trying to phase him out. Instead the conversation went something like this:
Mama, Santa isn't really real. He's just people dressed up like him.
Really?
Yah.
Is that okay?
Yah.
So why do you think people dress up like Santa?
To remind us of Santa because he reminds us that God loves us.
Do you remember who the first Santa was?
No.
Saint Nicholas.
Oh yah. He gave people presents and helped people.
So do you still want to visit Santa and take a picture with him?
Yah.
And will you ask him for something for Christmas?
I don't know... Mama, does Santa have to have a beard?
And there you have it.