Eleanor’s burgeoning language skills have been impressing the socks off me lately. As a confessed grammar-lover, I find it so fascinating to listen to the way her broken English develops as she becomes bolder and takes more risks with speech. Here are a few things out of her mouth recently:

“Mama please Ellie Chocolate Milk?”- A request proposed in the car.

“Lucy naked girl”- During one of Lucy’s many diaper changes.

“Come on mama”- Use regularly to coaxe me towards wherever she is headed. Particularly cute when combined with Ellie walking backwards and beckoning as if leading a puppy.

“Hannah Ellie peepee potty”- Announced proudly as she tells Hannah about the trip she just took to the bathroom.

“Here go Jack, cup”- Translation: ‘Here you go Jack. Here’s your cup’. This was in the car on the way to cousin Jack’s house. We had borrowed a sippy cup on our last visit and I had told Ellie she was going to give it back to Jack. Ellie felt the need to rehearse the return of the cup in the car.

“Be back baby.”- Said to her baby doll reassuringly. I had instructed Ellie to leave the baby in the stroller while we ate lunch. Ellie gently wrapped baby in her blanket, laid her in the stroller, and promised her she would ‘be back.’

Keep up the good work Ellie Bear.