Anglo-American Vocabulary

Laura's Post:

It's tough growing up in a bilingual home. Nappy or diaper? Pants or trousers? Bucket or pail? Fish fingers or fish sticks? Sophia is forging her own path. These delectable morsels will now be referred to as "finger sticks."

The Woodchip

Laura's Post:

Impressions of baby sister at 2 months:

Me: What do you think about your baby sister?
Sophia: She's great and she's cute. She looks like a chubby hamster, and she looks like a wood chip, too.
Me: She looks like a wood chip?
Sophia: Yep. 

Me: Why does she look like a wood chip?
S: Because she's cute like a wood chip.

Me: A wood chip? Huh. Oh, like a chipmunk.
Sophia: Yeah.

Chicken Little

Right when we're about to leave church, torrents of rain begin falling:

Sophia: Oh no! It's raining outside! And it's getting harder and harder, not softer and softer! We'll be here forever!...

Me: You're being dramatic again.
Sophia: ...forever and ever and ever!...

Shop or Die!

Getting into the car after a big grocery shopping trip: 

S: When am I going to die?
Laura: Uh, why do you ask?
S: Is it when I'm too old to live anymore?
Laura: That's a good way to put it. I want you to live a long and happy life and make the world a better place.
S: I don't want to do that.

(Yeah, shopping puts me in a bad mood, too....)

Hug on a Rug

Me: Sophia, don't come over here right now. I'm cleaning the carpets.
S: I have to do something important.
Me: Shampooing the carpets is really important, too, honey. Don't come over here, please.
S: But it's really important.
Me: What's really important?
S: I want to hug you.
Me: Okay, that is really important. Come here....

(Hugs trump rugs, always : )

Sticking Out Your Tongue ...

Yesterday, I had to lecture Sophia about not sticking out her tongue at me when she's frustrated.

This morning at breakfast, she asked for special milk (what she calls vitamin D milk) and a wet wipe because honey and peanut butter on toast is messy. 

Unfortunately, I took too long to get it for her, and she's none too pleased:

Me: Hey, are you sticking your tongue out at me again?!
S: No, I'm just licking the honey off of my lips.
Me: Hmm, you seem to be licking a bit too vigorously in my direction, though.
S: No, I'm just licking the honey off my lips... : p

Killer Tomatoes

Me: It's raining outside.
S: I hope there's not a big tomato.
Me: A tomato?
S: Yes, I hope there's not a big tomato in the sky like you told me about.
Me: You mean tornado.
S: No, it's big and orange and it fills up the sky.
Me: Oh, you mean like the giant explosion in China.
S: Yes, an explosion.
Me: I don't think we have to worry about that...

Milk & Cookies (In Bed)

S: Daddy! Mommy said I could have a cookie if I get into bed right now!
Me: A cookie?!
S: Yes!
Me: In bed?!
S: Yes!
Me: After you've brushed your teeth already?!
S: Yes!
Me: You must be one very persuasive child.
S: Yes! Heehee...

(Staying up late with Mama to bake cookies pays off : )

Blue and Yellow Make Green

We pull into the YMCA parking lot and park next to a green car:

Sophia: My friend Margaret is here! I see a blue car, and she rides in a blue car!
Me: The car next to us? That's a green car, honey.
Sophia: It's a blue car.
Me: (I get out of our car and take a closer look at the green car.) I don't think so, honey. It's definitively a green car.
Sophia: Well, that's because of the sun. The sun is yellow. Yellow and blue make green. You see a green car because the sun is yellow....

(Her tone was so persuasive that I bent down to look at the car from her perspective and realized that blue sky was reflecting off the dark green car in such a way to make it look a dark shade of blue.)

Me: Well, what do you know! It does look a shade of blue from your perspective.
Sophia: That's what I said! It's because the sun is yellow!...

The Volume Police

During a quiet evening at home:

S: Why is everybody so quiet?
Me: It's the calm after the storm.
S: Well, I don't like calm. I like it loud.
Laura: Didn't you say that you want the baby to go back because she's too loud?
S: I like soft-loud not loud-loud!...

Rain

On our walk today:
Me: It's starting to rain! Let's move quickly, honey!
S: It doesn't look like real rain.
Me: What does it look like?
S: Like little drops of polka dots dropping on my head....

The Argumentative Phase

Me: That's a really good article that you shared about raising an argumentative child.
Laura: Yes, it's good to know that it's only a phase.
Sophia: What's only a phase?
Me: The argumentative phase. Do you agree that being argumentative is only a phase?
Sophia: No!
Me: Why am I not surprised?
Laura: (under her breath) Please, let it be only a phase....