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conuly
The weirdest thing about how Ana's language develops (and by weird I mean "interesting" not, y'know, weird) has to be how she makes up new coinages I *know* she hasn't heard.
She doesn't say she wants us to unVERB something. It's always that she wants us to VERB backwards. So we "zip up jacket backwards" and "put shoes on backwards" and similar, instead of unzipping and taking off (well, she says that one too, but she never says unzip).
It's just beyond cool.
The second weirdest thing is how fast it moves, even when you think you're beyond the point of being able to discern explosive language growth. Friday, Ana and I were out walking, and she saw a broken balloon on the ground.
Ana: OH! Dey bwoke ba-yoon!
Me: Yes, I guess they did.
Ana: I want bayoon. I ask Daddy for bayoon. And Mommy. I ask Mommy and Daddy for bayoon yater.
Me: Okay. What color balloon do you want?
Ana: Uh... Owange. I yike owange. I ask Daddy for owange bayoon when he gets home.
This conversation would not have been possible a few months ago. I'm not even sure it was possible a few weeks ago. But a few days ago, we had it. We had an actual conversation, referencing events that might happen in the future. Just a short while ago, the conversation would've stopped, at best, after her statement that she wanted a balloon - or even just after her comment that the balloon existed.
When Ana had just turned two, we met at the museum another little girl who was about the age Ana is now. And we couldn't get over how talkative and clear she was. Sure, Ana talked a lot, but not like this!
And we didn't believe my mom when she told all of us that Ana'd be like that a year from then (that is to say, now). But she is. She really is.
She also dances. Well, you knew that. She'll be playing, and then she's half spinning back and forth (you know, turning one way, then the other?), or she'll be shaking, and she's dancing she says.
It's just a bit irritating when you want to talk to her about why (say) we DO NOT pull on electrical cords. Because that's when she... is... well, she's more likely to be dancing sans music then*. (Well, she calls it dancing, though without music I'm more inclined to call it Ana-stimming, because that's what it looks like to me. Seems to fit the same purpose, too.)
Which, I know, that one's not on the normal side of things. But when I'm not trying to impress upon her the importance of not touching dangerous things, I'm glad she's happy doing things that make her, ah, happy.
...
That last sentence isn't very clear. Or well-constructed. I'm sorry.
*I should clarify - it irritates me then because it distracts me and makes it hard for me to concentrate on what I'm saying. When I'm talking about something important, I do like to get my point across. Plus, I suspect she's doing that in part to keep from listening. That's why we're going now on the "what did I just say" idea - if I find out she listens better when not dancing/stimming/fidgeting, we'll have to find a way to work on that. If I find out she listens better when she *is* doing such, then I'll be the one with work to do, won't I?
She doesn't say she wants us to unVERB something. It's always that she wants us to VERB backwards. So we "zip up jacket backwards" and "put shoes on backwards" and similar, instead of unzipping and taking off (well, she says that one too, but she never says unzip).
It's just beyond cool.
The second weirdest thing is how fast it moves, even when you think you're beyond the point of being able to discern explosive language growth. Friday, Ana and I were out walking, and she saw a broken balloon on the ground.
Ana: OH! Dey bwoke ba-yoon!
Me: Yes, I guess they did.
Ana: I want bayoon. I ask Daddy for bayoon. And Mommy. I ask Mommy and Daddy for bayoon yater.
Me: Okay. What color balloon do you want?
Ana: Uh... Owange. I yike owange. I ask Daddy for owange bayoon when he gets home.
This conversation would not have been possible a few months ago. I'm not even sure it was possible a few weeks ago. But a few days ago, we had it. We had an actual conversation, referencing events that might happen in the future. Just a short while ago, the conversation would've stopped, at best, after her statement that she wanted a balloon - or even just after her comment that the balloon existed.
When Ana had just turned two, we met at the museum another little girl who was about the age Ana is now. And we couldn't get over how talkative and clear she was. Sure, Ana talked a lot, but not like this!
And we didn't believe my mom when she told all of us that Ana'd be like that a year from then (that is to say, now). But she is. She really is.
She also dances. Well, you knew that. She'll be playing, and then she's half spinning back and forth (you know, turning one way, then the other?), or she'll be shaking, and she's dancing she says.
It's just a bit irritating when you want to talk to her about why (say) we DO NOT pull on electrical cords. Because that's when she... is... well, she's more likely to be dancing sans music then*. (Well, she calls it dancing, though without music I'm more inclined to call it Ana-stimming, because that's what it looks like to me. Seems to fit the same purpose, too.)
Which, I know, that one's not on the normal side of things. But when I'm not trying to impress upon her the importance of not touching dangerous things, I'm glad she's happy doing things that make her, ah, happy.
...
That last sentence isn't very clear. Or well-constructed. I'm sorry.
*I should clarify - it irritates me then because it distracts me and makes it hard for me to concentrate on what I'm saying. When I'm talking about something important, I do like to get my point across. Plus, I suspect she's doing that in part to keep from listening. That's why we're going now on the "what did I just say" idea - if I find out she listens better when not dancing/stimming/fidgeting, we'll have to find a way to work on that. If I find out she listens better when she *is* doing such, then I'll be the one with work to do, won't I?
