I listen buddy

One of the fun aspects of mothering a two-year-old is functioning as his interpreter. To know what he is saying when others stare at him blankly is one of those times that it really hits me, "I am a mother". Sometimes, though, I'm really stumped. Today was almost one of those days.

In the all-too-early morning when Abel is already awake and I'm still trying to sleep, he usually plays in the room around me or goes out to play with blocks. (This skill of playing on his own is new, and VERY appreciated.) Meanwhile I try to sleep awake, gaining the benefit of a couple more minutes of shut-eye, and listening for the early warning signs of any toddler-induced catastrophes. Then when Gwendolyn wakes, I'm up for good and I feed her while he keeps playing.

This morning he came running into my room saying excitedly, "I listen buddy!" And every time I asked him to repeat himself it came out the same. "I listen buddy!" This was apparently good news. But just before I got to the deceitful "smile and nod" approach where I act like I know what he's saying, he added, "I can go upstairs! I listen buddy".

"Oh, Abel, you hear somebody, so you can go upstairs." He nodded and smiled. That was it. I'd told him that he had to wait downstairs "until you hear somebody upstairs". So up he went to join my little sisters.

I find language acquisition so incredibly fascinating--that his brain already uses 'listen' and 'hear' interchangeably and my less flexible brain can't make any sense of it when he's not using the right word.

One more week in Virginia as I complete this part of my midwifery training with the home birth practice. We're so excited to join Josiah back in Massachusetts but I must admit I'll miss having "buddy" upstairs to entertain my two-year-old in the mornings!