We have two types of butter in the fridge. A regular one for the kids and a low-fat one for the grown ups. One morning, only the low-fat one was on the table:
Pia: (receiving her toast) Can I have some butter?
Daddy: (pushes the low-fat butter closer to Pia) Here.
Pia: Daddy, is that butter only for ground-ups?
* * *
We've been praying the Our Father each night with the kids, without actually explicitly teaching them the words. From hearing the prayer nightly, the children picked up the words.
Most of the words anyway:
Pia: ...And give us this day, our daily breath...
* * *
Daddy was trying to help improve Dominic's writing by introducing him to sentence patterns. The first pattern is about using a series of descriptive words separated by commas: "A,B,C".
Daddy: Dominic, look at this pattern: "A comma B comma C". For example, "My teacher is friendly comma good comma nice". Do you get it?
Dominic: Yes
Daddy: Here's another: With persistence comma confidence comma intelligence, I learned to play chess. Now it's your turn.
Dominic: uhm.....<can't think of a sentence>
Daddy: Ok, let's try another one, I'll start the sentence: "My school has a... "
Dominic: <no answer>
Daddy: "My school has a..."
Pia: Comma!
* * *
Daddy was seated on the sofa. A hyper-agitated Sammy was on his lap, vigorously struggling and folding and stretching and twisting and screaming with unbelievable strength. Pia was saying something but Daddy was too distracted. Sammy's crying simply drowned out all other communication beyond understandability.
Pia bends down near Daddy for a few seconds and then all of a sudden Daddy's leg was tied up with a skipping rope!
Daddy: Pia! Why did you tie my leg?
Pia: Because you were not listening to me.
Daddy: Untie my leg
Pia: (sits down on another chair across the room, rests both hands with fingers meshed behind her head and leans back smiling smugly at her capture) No.
Daddy: (annoyed, and still struggling with Sammy) Untie it now.
Pia: No. Because I was telling you ten times to twirl the skipping rope while I jump.
Daddy: Let me go now.
Pia: I will let you go only if you obey me.
* * *
While at lunch. The fridge is right behind Pia's place at the table:
Daddy: Pia, can you get the water from the fridge?
Pia: (poker faced, no response. not even looking up from her plate)
Daddy: Pia, could you get the water?
Pia: (no reaction)
Daddy: Peeeeeeeeee-yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Pia: (still poker faced) You must say please.
* * *
Sammy is picking up words from the conversations around him. Sometimes he uses them as if he knows what they mean. If the conversation is short enough, he can even pass the Turing test.
In the kitchen:
Mommy: Who wants to eat?
Sammy: Me!
Mommy: Where do you want your food?
Sammy: Why?
Mommy: How any pieces of toast bread do you want?
Sammy: Two
Mommy: Do you want butter?
Sammy: Why?
Mommy: Do you want toast bread?
Sammy: No
BZZZZZZT!
* * *
Dominic and Pia got into making cards for Mommy during Mother's day. Pia continues making cards when it fancies her. She likes to write, but her spelling lags a bit.
Her latest card for Mommy:
Mommy I am going to gev you discards and dot lok at dis cards yat but mommy I Love you vrey mash but Dominic should not hit me enimor.
* * *
For months Daddy has been encouraging Dominic to pronounce his 'R's : to say 'hard' instead of 'hahd, to say 'art' instead of 'aht', to say 'fork' instead of 'fohk':
At work:
Australian Colleague: Your English sounds American
Daddy: Yes, American English is the standard of English where we came from. I'm working on acquiring the Australian accent though.
Australian Colleague: You should avoid pronouncing your 'R's
Daddy: Huh?
Australian Colleague: You are rolling your 'R's, people here don't pronounce their 'R's. Say 'fohk' instead of 'fork'.
* * *
While praying before going to bed:
Daddy: ...and provide us with our daily needs: food, clothing, shelter...
Pia: And 'sleep'!
* * *
Pia loves answering the phone, especially when she knows it's Daddy calling home from the office.
Pia: (answering the phone) Hello! Is this Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, can I talk to Mommy?
Pia: She's not here today.
* * *
Pia: (answering the phone) Hello! Is this Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, can I talk to Mommy?
Pia: (without changing her voice) I am Mommy.
* * *
Pia: (answering the phone) Hello! Is this Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, can I talk to Mommy?
Pia: (in her 'oldest' sounding voice) This is Grandma.
* * *
Pia: (answering the phone) Hello! Is this Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, can I talk to Mommy?
Pia: Mommy is not here.
Daddy: (?) Where is she?
Pia: She left us.
* * *
Pia: (answering the phone) Hello! Is this Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, can I talk to Mommy?
Pia: Mommy is not here.
Daddy: (?) Where is she?
Pia: She is downstairs washing clothes
Daddy: (suspicious) Can I talk to Dominic?
Pia: He's also downstairs washing clothes
Daddy: (now really suspicious) Can I talk to (20-month old) Sammy?
Pia: Sammy's also washing clothes
* * *
Sammy can already say a few words very clearly, like: why, here, and eat, but he doesn't quite know what the words mean yet:
Daddy: Pia, does Daddy love Mommy?
Pia: Yes
Daddy: Dominic, does Mommy love Daddy?
Dominic: Yes
Daddy: Sammy, does Mommy love Daddy?
Sammy: Why?
* * *
