Talking

Just as every mother of toddlers has ever said, "Suddenly, it's like there's been an explosion of talking and they are saying and understanding so much more!"
And so it is at our house.
The other day, after having a total conversation with Grey about what he wanted for lunch, I started a list of words they know.
Every. Single. Day. I add another word or two that I did not know they could say. Today? The new word was stairs and yesterday it was keys. 
So here is the list of all the words that my kids can suddenly say and use:

1. Yes, yeah, yep
2. No
3. Excuse me (Ski-ski)
4. Please (Eease)
5. Thank you (Grey: Crunk-oou; Micah: Tink-oou), Thanks
6. Help (Hup)
7. No Thanks (No-tinks)
8. Welcome {Like "You're welcome"} (Ec-come)
9. Up
10. Down
11. Stand-up (Tind-up!)
12. Sit (Dit)
13. Hot
14. Cold
15. Brrr! (Boa!)
16. Hop
17. Jump
18. Stuck
19. Love you (La-lou!)
20. Uh-Oh! Oh No!
21. Tickle (Cuckle)
22. Owie
23. Hello, Hi
24. Bye-Bye
25. Ni-night
26. Out
27. Go!
28. Stop! 
29. Don't!
30. More (Mo)
31. MINE!
32. This
33. Off
34. Dressed 
35. Pants (Dance)
36. Coat (Cooa)
37. Shoes (Shoosh)
38. Boots
39. Mittens (Tit-tins)
40. Socks (Docks)
41. Hat
42. Diaper (Diapo)
43. Zip (Zzz-Pip!)
44. Button (Dut-ton)
45. Apple (Puple)
46. Applesauce (Pupsah)
47. Banana (Nana)
48. Milk (Ek)
49. Juice
50. Tea 
51. Water (Wa-wer)
52. Cracker (Caker)
53. Eggs
54. Drink
55. Cheese {The food is "Keys" but when I take their picture they say "Tease!")
56. Cookies
57. Hotdog (Hot-hot)
58. Candy
59. Bread
60. Grape (Grade)
61. Pillow (Pow-low)
62. Blankie (Kie-kie)
63. Bed (Ded)
64. Chair (Tair)
65. Bottle (Dottle)
66. Poop
67. Tigger
68. Pooh {Like, "Winnie the Pooh"}
69. Snake
70. Duck
71. Dog, Puppy
72. Kitty, Cat
73. Penguin (Ning-ning)
74. Fish (Shh-sh)
75. Butterfly (butt-fy)
76. Dinosaur (Di-door)
77. Boat (Boa)
78. Choo-choo {Like a "Train"} 
79. Car
80. Truck (Uck)
81. Plane (Ane)
82. Flower (Lowla)
83. Head
84. Foot
85. Toes
86. Belly
87. Teeth
88. Hair
89. Glasses (Lasses)
90. Phone
91. Stairs
92. Keys
93. Bath
94. Bubbles
95. Park
96. Light
97. Blue {Mostly, like "Blue's Clues," but sometimes they can correctly identify the color)
98. Star (Sta-RAWR!)
99. Circle (Sur-sul)
100. Oval (whoa-whoal)
101. Santa (Tan-ta)
102. Tree (Tee)
103. Baby (Grey: Babby; Micah: Babe}
104. Snow
105. Ice
106. Ball (Bo)
107. Basketball (Ket-ket-Bo)
108. Aladdin (E-Laddy) {They refer to almost all TV as "E-Laddy"}
109. George (Goge) {Like "Curious George"}
110. Kiss
111. Sticker
112. Blech! {If something is "Yucky"... Does this count as a word?}
113.  Shapes {What they call their "Shape Sorter" toy}

Anyway. I'm super, super proud. And since this blog's main purpose is to brag about my kids, you get to hear some serious bragging. 

They are so smart. I know this is average for a two year old, and I know A LOT of two year olds that talk more than this, but 1. Twins usually talk late, because it's really common for them to have a made-up language and 2. Boys usually talk late and 3. Grey and Micah were premature. Not very premature. Hardly premature enough to count as such, but still. 

And I know that speaking early isn't a sign of intelligence, and lots of really, really smart people don't talk until they're older - but it makes me really happy to see that the boys understand the point and use of words. As a writer, a reader, a self-proclaimed semi-Theologian, and someone completely head over heels in love with WORDS and their power, I love to see my kids putting words together and using them. 

They've started trying to string words together, and if I ask them questions, you can see their little cogs turning before they answer. And I'm pleased to say that with only a few exceptions, the words that they know were taught to them BY ME. By books in our house, by conversations with me during the day, with their Daddy. They didn't learn them from other kids (I am blaming "Mine" on Nursery at church), they didn't learn them from TV, except the names of a few TV show characters and they didn't learn them from another adult (except their family). 

And speaking of family, I didn't know if it counted, since these aren't real "Words" but here are the names of some family members they know. They can repeat back to me almost anything, but these are the people they recognize and call by name, point out in pictures, and bring me the phone and ask to call:

1. Grey (Drey)
2. Micah (Dih-Dah)
3. Mama, Mom
4. Daddy
5. Grandpa (Brumpa)
6. Grandma (Ann-Ma)
7. Riley (Liley)
8. Katie (Kitty)
9. Jack (Jat)
10. Tate (Tat)
11. Mary (May-ee)
12. Becky {Yeah, they think it's funny to call me Becky.}
13. Elanor (Ne-nor) {Our downstairs neighbor}

And another list. These are the animals that they recognize pictures of, and make sounds for when asked. Again, they don't really count as "words," but they are identifying specific things with specific sounds:

1. Dog (Woof Woof) or (*Panting*)
2. Cat (Mooooow-roooah) {Mostly pathetic moaning. It's hilarious}
3. Pig (*Snorting*)
4. Frog (Erow-Erow)
5. Duck (Cack-cack)
6. Snake (Ssss)
7. Bee (Zzzzz) {They Bzzz for all bugs, especially Spiders and worms? And often get confused and Bzz for Bears, too.}
8. Cow (Mooo)
9. Horse (Neigh)
10. Sheep / Goat (Baa)
11. Wolf (Woooo) {If they're ever confused about an animal, this is the sound they make}
12. Mouse (Skeek-skeek!)
13. Owl (Who-Who)
14. Birds / Chicks (Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!)
15. Rooster (Cock-ooo)
16. Chicken (Luck, luck, luck)
17. Lion / Tiger / Dinosaur, (Raaawwr!)
18. Elephant (Brrrooooo!) {Complete with arm motion}
19. Fish (*Smacking their lips*)
20. Rabbit (*Sniffing*)
21. Monkey (Ooh-Ee)

Once, after our list of "What does a Dog say? What does a Cat say? What does etc?" Travis said, "What does Mom say?"

Both boys immediately starting making monkey sounds! 

"What does Dad say?" I asked, pointing at Travis. After a few seconds, Micah quacked. Grey nodded, and started quacking, too. 

What did I tell you? Geniuses.