A Word

Our family is pretty chatty- and that is putting it mildly. You have heard that the standard male speaks 25,000 words a day and females 50,000. I'm pretty sure Andrew is way over the 50,000 and I don't want to even guess how many I have uttered by the time I hit the pillow at night. So it is no surprise that our kids talk... a lot. Air time is a precious commodity around here. Ainsley and Hudson didn't talk early, (as opposed to Heather's girls who were speaking full sentences with 4-syllable words by like 16 months :) ) but once they did talk, they have never stopped.

We might be in real trouble with Camden. He has started talking much earlier, and even more worrisome, much louder than the other two. He doesn't have tons of words, but his "thank-you" makes you want to keep giving him things over and over just to hear it. His "bye-bye" is so loud and intense that I worry our guests will have a "don't let the door hit you on the way out" complex.

Lately his language acquisition has slowed because he has discovered one word that he can use for a multitude of situations. So for your reading pleasure here are interpretations of the many different definitions of "no" we currently have in this house. (with more being added almost daily)

"No, No, No, No" - The traditional definition, only slightly more intense.

"Nooo..owieeeee..noooo...owieee...." - Someone has put my in my bed and I'm so mad about it I think I'm in physical pain.

Run in from another location, earnestly say"No No" then run off back to where a sibling is - Either my brother or sister is doing something I think is wrong and I'm tattling on them, come follow me. (If no one follows, repeat)

"Noo????" while holding an object - I like this, but I don't know if you will let me have it, do you see it?

"NOOOO!! (screeching) while frantically waving hand while sitting in high chair- there is something on the table that I want, your job is to touch everything on the table until you figure out what it is, sort of like playing "hot or cold."

"N-ooo" in a very satisfied way, coincides with calmly sitting back in high chair, and dropping frantically waving hand- you figured out what I wanted. Give it to me fast, or I will go back to the screeching.

"Nah-ooo" followed by laughter and running away- chase me!

"No, No" accompanied by wild hitting, stomping, and crying- tantruming about something that is not quite to my liking.

"NO NO" using the same tone and inflection that I do while pointing to something like the stove and nodding head up and down- I know that this is something I'm not to touch, aren't you proud of me? Say "good boy" because I'm doing a good job. I will keep saying it until you tell me I'm a good boy.

"No"- when asked if he wants something, but then when not given to him because the bearer wrongly assumes that his "no" actually means "no," when in fact this particular time "no" means "yes, I really want that" and so now I'm going to scream "NOOOO" over and over because he didn't get what he wanted.

I think the first Bible verse Camden should memorize will be Matthew 5:37- Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.