Words

Tonight I got what I think is my first, "I don't love you Mommy!" from Turtle. I wasn't too taken aback, since I've heard that about twice a day for the last six months from Monkey. I think I was more surprised to suddenly realize, right after Turtle said it, that I didn't remember ever hearing her say it before. As hard as I try not to, I'm always lumping them together, and so in my mind, "they" said that all the time.

Each girl has had more positive phrasing lately too. In describing an activity she did in her Montessori classroom on Friday, Monkey said, "It's very challenging work." She kind of stumbled on "challenging" but she got it out, and I have to say I was pretty impressed. Then I heard Turtle recently talking to her dolls, saying, "Ok, here are your options."

Since I know they are picking up more complex language left and right, tonight as I read them a story I explained to them that a doll in the book was "symbolic" of something else, and did my best to explain what symbolic means. I don't know if they understood, but they were both quietly engrossed in my explanation, so I know they were at least impressed with my big word.