Jacob's Lingo

Jacob is getting better and more creative at expressing himself orally.

Lately I've been trying to warn him if he won't be able to play with something soon. I have a nice microphone for podcasting that looks just like the microphone Bruce Springsteen uses in a video Jacob likes. Jacob discovered the mike in the study and quite often begged to go there to sing. I wasn't crafty enough to record him singing, since that would require turning the computer on and a host of other complications and distractions. Anyway, I was done with podcast recording and had decided to put the microphone away the next day. So I told Jacob he wouldn't get to play with it after that day. He went nuts and said, "I don't want to play with the microphone anymore! Put it away! PUT IT AWAY!!" I tried to explain that he had the rest of the day, but he wouldn't hear it. So I put it away. Similar incidents have happened with library toys and puzzles that had to go back. Even though he is upset, he usually doesn't get violent (occasionally a toy gets tossed across a room) and he is pretty coherent.

Some phrases are less coherent and sound like idioms translated directly from another language. At the store the other day, I was talking to Jacob and then Lucy demanded my attention. In order to switch me back, Jacob said, "Come back with your face!" That certainly got my attention since it took me a little moment to parse it. What did he mean? Where did he get that from? Mommy and I never said anything like that before.

The worst examples are when your children repeat things back to you. On a typical morning, getting socks, shoes, and jackets on two toddlers is more of a challenge than it should be. I find my patience bleeding away as one child will get socks and shoes and then run off while the other child finally decides to come, sit, and be shod. As this was going on the other day, Jacob grinned and said to me, "You kids are killing me!" I almost asked him where he heard that before. The answer came to me in an instant--me. At least it wasn't swearing, which I only do in my head on rare occasions. Luckily, the kids can't read minds. Then I would be in trouble.

Conversations with Jacob certainly are fun. I'm looking forward to what he will come up with next.