How Things Are Said and Done

When something is upside down, be it a kid, a dog, or an inanimate object it is always referred to as "ups-sid down baby".

When someone falls, or pretends to fall, they ask me "Are you okay?" over and over and over and over until I repeat the question back. Often our toys have great crashes and the boys ask them this question until they are righted and doing whatever toys are made to do.

Telephone calls are always important and urgent.  "Hello? Yesth? Okay. Bye."  If it's Evan then the word hello is pronounced with a French accent, "Ahllo?" Sometimes it's Elmo or Poppop calling.  Occasionally Granny calls with urgent news, to which she gets hung up on promptly lest the phone self destruct in 5 seconds.

Both boys can say their full alphabet with occasional help.  Evan can count to 13 and Cameron to 11.  And they can count backwards from 5.  When counting down you must always say "Bwast Off!"

 Cameron:  "Oh boy! I can't wait."

Cameron:  "Oh, Cah-men drive de car? Nooooo?  Oh, okay, I'll try."

Cameron:  "Mommy, get de telephone? Oh-kaaaay, Cah-men get de telephone."  This is a diversionary tactic used during meals or nap time.

Cameron knows to say "Oh-kay, see you latter Cameron.  Bye-bye, hag (have) a nice day. See you soon, Cameron."  when he's leaving or the person visiting is leaving us.  And what he means is that you are to say these things to him, and he will repeat the words over and over until you say them.

Every morning Cameron wakes up and tells me something unintelligible that ALWAYS involves a helicopter.  I have no idea what he's telling me, but he always follows his discussion with "Mommy, you see a hec-a-topter?"

Evan:  "Ah yooh oh-kay?" is said whenever he perceives himself to be hurt, roughed up, or upset in any way.  Usually said at the same time as he folds himself over in half with forehead to feet or floor, face pouting.


Evan:  Tackling my legs from the side or behind, "Aw, I wuv yoo."

Evan now calls himself Ennan or Eh-than.  It seems both boys refer to themselves in the third person. 

This week the boys finally have accepted the fact that occasionally they have to hold hands, and that it can be fun.  It started with Evan trying to get Cameron to start a game of chase.  He grabs Cameron's hand and for a few seconds they walk side by side holding hands.  It makes my heart melt to see it, even if it's nano-brief.  And then the running and squealing begins.  Yesterday during a playdate with some other boys we played Ring Around The Rosie.  All the boys in the group are delayed in some way, the unanimous common delays of the group are language and sensory issues.  At this age kids will parallel play, which is playing side by side or near each other but not interacting directly with one another.  To break this barrier you have to get them to do physical things, so playing Ring Around the Rosie is perfect because they have to hold another person's hand, they have to understand that there are rules to the game (hold hands, spin as a group in a circle, let go at a designated point, fall down), and that it's fun and repetitive for ongoing play.  But to get sensory adverse kids to hold hands is difficult to put it mildly.  But for the first time, they finally got the concept that it's okay to hold hands.  This is a good sign that we are moving toward being stroller free.  If they can hold hands, then it's slightly less likely that I will have to run in two different directions at the same time.  Mommy is looking forward to that day.

The boys new favorite thing to do is play chase with each other.  No words are involved, though if there are any it's "I'm gonna git you."  Mostly it's Evan grabbing Cameron by the collar or hand and pulling him until Cameron knows that he's supposed to chase his brother, then the shrieks and peals of laughter follow.  And it usually ends up with someone walking into a wall or door or falling on the floor, and of course the tears.  After a minute of "Are yoo okay?" they are back at it going through the kitchen and around the living room and back through the kitchen over and over and over.