Preschooler Talk

Preschooler talk is such a spectacular insight on how their brains work. Unfiltered stream-of-consciousness mixed with attempts to grasp language and say things that will please his audience.

Around the time that Grey was born, Liam and Dash's speech took off. Probably because they were vying for more attention. Now we have all sorts of conversations. Our biggest hang-up lies in instructing via physical direction ("Your airplane is right next to the table. No, not the table in the basement, right next to your foot. Right there. Look down. You're looking right at it. No, walk the other way. You just stepped over." etc.)


There are a few things they frequently say and always mispronounce. A sampling: helicopahtow, cewe-low (cereal), boo-bellies (blueberries), tyno-sauce (tyranosaurus). Certainly, anything with an "r" trips them up.

Every morning, usually while I'm getting him dressed, Liam asks, "Where we are going, mommy?"


Dash started asking "why?" Luckily, he only does it sporadically. Because I can only think of so many explanations before I've reached the end of my intelligence.

I love the excitement they insert into everyday words and sentences. One day, Dash was watching Liam eat, saying *gasp* "a bite!" *gasp* "a bite!" And when they both complete a task, pump their fists cheering, "Did it!"


Their big cop-out excuse: "I not twy." They use it when they just plain don't want to do something (cleaning up, eating dinner, etc.) or when asked to do something new.

Their main sleep time stall tactic is to come find me and inform me that they are, "picking another book." You may pick a book, just stay in your room, sillies.


I can't get enough of their little casual words, like "nope," "oh!" "yeah yeah yeah." and "okay!" I think it's the attitude behind the words, when they communicate happily, that makes me like it so.

This always makes me giggle: "that's mine's." It's a step up from their previous, "that's my's."


Things being "scawy" (scary) is a big concept around these parts. They like to say "I'm scawed!" and ball up their hands by their face and shiver. Dash is a master shiverer.

Sometimes when they say a sentence and realize they mean the opposite, they'll throw a "not" at the end. Or as a replacement for "don't." So they say "I finished my milk... not." and "I not want more bread."


Whenever they hear an unexpected sound, they hold still with bugged out eyes, and ask after a beat, "what's dat sound, mommy?" I think they get it from my reaction when I hear Sean driving in from work. It's precious.