Tete-a-Toddler: Conversations with a Budding Linguist

Time: Friday evening

Place: the kitchen table

Jon: Maddie, are you pooping?

Maddie: (red in the face, eyes watering, grunting) No.

Jon: Maddie, you're pooping! Are you pooping?

Maddie: (still the same, but possibly louder grunting) No.

Jon: Maddie-

Maddie: Bye-bye, Daddy.

Me: Maddie, what are you doing? Are you pooping?

Maddie: Bye-bye, Mommy.


Time: Saturday afternoon

Place: the kitchen table

Me: Maddie, you need to eat more chicken.

Maddie: (very seriously and with a slight nod) A bee-ana.

Me: We're not having bananas for lunch. You need to eat more chicken.

Maddie: A bee-ana.

Me: No bananas. We don't even have any bananas. Are you all out of milk? Do you want some water?

Maddie: A bee-ana. (Still completely serious)

Me: There are no bananas. You need to eat more chicken, or you're done with lunch.

Maddie: A bee-ana.


Time: Sunday evening

Place: Living room (during the Bracket unveiling, which is the only reason she was allowed to eat in the living room)

Me: Maddie, are you going to eat more of your pizza?

Maddie: No. Ah dun.

Me: Do you want some more broccoli?

Maddie: Yeah!


Time: Monday afternoon

Place: Kitchen

Maddie: A walk.

Me: No, it's too windy to go for a walk.

Maddie: A walk! (Pushing her trike-stroller into the kitchen)

Me: Sorry, baby, but we can't go on a walk today. You can walk out to get the mail with me, if you want.

Maddie: A walk!

Me: Sweetie, no. No walk.

Maddie: Tah-git*?

That's my girl...

*Tah-git = Target