More Adventures In Speech Production

In which I share recent mannerisms from my two speech-challenged children:

Julianna, upon being given anything at the table (tea, milk, more pasta):

“Oh, sank you sweetheart!”

(This is her parroting me, btw, and as soon as she discovered that it reduces people to giggles, she adopted it as a permanent fixture. I’m now trying to discourage it by lack of reaction. It’s really cute, but she’s eight years old. She’s not really a little girl anymore, appearances and behavior to the contrary.)

Michael, when told “no”:

“Oh, but the (denied item) make me saaaad!”

Julianna, upon having her will thwarted or redirected in the tiniest detail:

“Heeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy!” (Word Press is woefully inadequate to the task of showing the inflection of this, a two-pitch falling whine.)

Michael, when his big brothers, thinking he’s adorable, repeat his stilted, imperfect sentences:

“Yeah! Dass, what, I, said!”

Julianna, at any old time of the day (it happens upwards of a half dozen times a day):

“Hey–Mommy–guess–what? Michael, said, if der iss, a toh-nado dweel, we haf–to–go–to, the base-ment!”

(We think this is an attempt to “coach” herself about things that scare her. Although similar self-coachings on the topic of getting up and coming to Mommy and Daddy’s room if there’s a thunderstorm failed spectacularly three nights ago. When push came to shove, she reverted to her usual bloodcurdling wake-up-the-whole-household scream.)

Michael, after seeing something scary:

(little giggle): “Mum-my, da monsta is fun-ny!”

Happy Palm Sunday weekend! The biggest week of the year is around the corner!