The Boy Child has plenty of words, but he never uses them in combination, never forms a sentence. I have not really formed a view as to his intellect. I mean, he seems to be all there but who can tell? This weekend changed that. By way of background, his maternal grandmother, (mor mor, in Norwegian), lives in Central America right now and speaks perfect Spanish. When the Boy Child, who is just barely two years old, says her name, he pronounces it as "moo moo". Not uncommon for little Norwegian children to say that, I'm told. By way of comparison, he now calls my father, "dude". My father loves that.

So, we were all sitting around the dinner table, playing around, singing the Sesame Street song, when I turned to the Boy Child and we had the following exchange:

Me: Donde esta Plaza Sesamo?

BC: Moo Moo. [as if to say, go ask Moo Moo].

Me: [stunned silence as my wife and I look at each other and I say to my wife] Was that an accident? Do you think he did that on purpose?

Wife: I have no idea.

Me: [to boy child] Hvem er det som snakker Spansk? [translation from Norwegian: who is it who speaks Spanish?]

BC: [confidently, shaking his head for emphasis] Moo moo.

If I had any doubts about him, they are gone as of now. Da Boy is all there.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 04:47 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Multi-lingual children have a different language acquisition curve than mono-linguals. However, studies have shown that by the age of 5 they are incredibly fast at learning additional languages and are able to retain and process more information than mono-lingual children. You just may have a little Einstein on your hands... the quiet, shy, observant, retiring type.

Posted by: michele at March 28, 2005 06:04 PM (ht2RK)

2 Hmmm. Michele might be onto something. The shaking of the head for emphasis might be frustration that you've asked him such a simple question as if to say "Yo, dude. Do not patronize me!" Heh. BTW, and just from my own memories of growing up, I think that "Do you understand?" is a horrible question to be asked in any context. If a kid doesn't get it s/he'll say "Huh?!". Asking it will usually be taken as either an insult or an assault, depending on the context. But, maybe that's just me...

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 28, 2005 10:51 PM (SmuPE)

3 I have no statistics to give you; but I'll just say that it's been my experience that up until about age five, they're sponges. In fact, I spoke perfect -- without a hint of an accent -- Spanish at age 5 with a woman hired to take care of me and my little brother. We were forced into other arrangements and went to a daycare situation. I no longer can speak Spanish like a native. (I can, however, understand far more than I can speak which, is an advantage of sorts. Heh.) I never had a doubt your BC was as whip-smart as your GC. It's good genes, buddy. Good genes.

Posted by: Margi at March 29, 2005 03:37 AM (lWAiX)

4 I've found from both experience and observation that the second child in the family often isn't as verbally motivated as the first-born. After all, if the first-born can talk for them, (and first borns *love* to talk for their sibs, don't they?) why bother? *grins* Has zip to do with intelligence. My son let his sister talk for him for a very long time. He's now 23 and, believe me, he has grown into one of the smartest people I've ever had the privilege to know. My brother didn't walk for a very long time. Why? Everyone carried him about; why bother? Finally he got so large, my mom couldn't cart him about so easily anymore so one day he just stood up and walked over to whatever it was he wanted, much to everyone's shock. And he just kept walking after that. When he got to school, he tested with a 165 IQ. Today he is an accomplished musician and has been very successful. My Dan, the second-born in his family, didn't talk at all until he was three years old. Again, he had an older sister who had filled in for him when necessary. Dan also has a high IQ and I know you've read his blog; he's an articulate guy today. :-) Sounds like Da Boy is more than "all there" to me. :-)

Posted by: Amber at March 29, 2005 02:33 PM (zQE5D)

5 That's a great story, he sounds very smart indeed. My little guy surprises us all the time, and he's exactly like BC, he gets frustrated if you can't understand him, or ask him if he understands, or repeat something that he knows to him. Yesterday he made us laugh, I asked him where his bottle was he said "In the place I go ny ny". He's 2 1/2 but he knows where all his stuff is, unless of course someone has moved it on him.

Posted by: Oorgo at March 30, 2005 12:58 PM (lM0qs)

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Yes, that's right. The bloom is off the rose. I will illustrate by relating the following conversation this morning:

Girl Child: [throws her socks up in the air in the kitchen while I have my coffee and NY Times]

Me: Don't throw things around in the kitchen.

GC: Why not?

Me: Because the kitchen is probably the most dangerous room in the house.

GC: Why?

Me: Because there are things that could burn you here, things that could cut you, things that you could knock over and . . . [GC walks out]

Wife in dining room: What was Pappa saying to you?

GC to wife: I don't know, something about the kitchen. [tone, according to my wife, like a 13 year old]

Remember, she just turned four. I am so screwed.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:14 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 *LOL* at least you realise already. I think it came as a total shock to my father.

Posted by: Mia at March 13, 2005 08:33 AM (yLho4)

2 Oh NOOOOO! Better get your attitude going right back! Just wait until the teen years hit!

Posted by: Mark at March 13, 2005 05:14 PM (AvjW+)

3 *snickersnort*

Posted by: Margi at March 14, 2005 07:18 AM (lWAiX)

4 Yes you are! *grins* What fun, eh? ;-)

Posted by: Amber at March 14, 2005 11:41 AM (zQE5D)

5 Yeah... I feel the exact same, yesterday my 2 year old told me he doesn't like me anymore, because I turned off his Thomas the Train DVD. Of course the grudge only lasted about 15 minutes, but still...

Posted by: Oorgo at March 14, 2005 01:34 PM (lM0qs)

6 LOL, smart as a whip and full of spunk! You are in for it!!!!

Posted by: Rachel Ann at March 15, 2005 04:01 AM (TgJbS)

7 Maybe you're just getting it now and she'll be over it by then? What if the second one is just as "spunky"? Then you'll really have your hands full!

Posted by: Hannah at March 15, 2005 03:01 PM (7dELN)

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The nanny is gone for most of the week. Yesterday, my mother hosted the kids and will again on Friday. Today, however, I stayed home from work to be primary caregiver. It was like playing house, it was/is that much fun. The kids are napping right now, that's why I can write for a minute.

It has also been a huge tease -- showing me what my life could be like if I was independently wealthy and I didnÂ’t have to work outside the house. Showing me how much fun my kids are, even if it is hard work.

I got them both up, gave them breakfast, played, loaded them into the car and took the Girl Child off to school. On the way, I changed the radio station from the crap pop that the nanny listens to and found some very nice jazz. I asked the Girl Child if she liked it and she said she did so we played a game trying to name the instruments. She claimed that one of them was a “Flutootle”. Clearly a flute, in her mind. It was a bass, actually, but that’s ok. We dropped her off where I, the only dad there that day, was absolutely snubbed by all the stay at home moms. That was ok, too. Sort of. I mean, I knew some of them from various birthday parties even if I was not a part of their daily school routine. But I expected more of a hello and maybe that was expecting too much. Whatever. My kids were cuter (damn, that was petty).

Then the Boy Child and I, after he gave his sister something like 6 kisses, headed off to a really good liquor store in Scarsdale in search, still, of white port for my wife. No success there but picked up a half a case of some really yummy looking assorted Italian and Spanish reds. And a bottle of Fino Sherry for my wife as an attempt at a substitute. The Boy Child got to stand the whole time in the shopping cart and was just happy to be there. We went home with our booze, changed diapers, and headed off to music class!

Yay, music class! That was the first one I got to take him to. One nice thing, though, was that everyone said that we had a lovely nanny. Music class was great. I donÂ’t know how to describe it particularly, but can say that I was again the only daddy. This time, at least, people talked to me. The Boy Child seemed to like having me there. He was regularly running across the room to me and launching himself at me. He enjoyed going to get the instruments and then putting them away. He didnÂ’t sing, but thatÂ’s not a shock since he doesnÂ’t really talk. The tambourines were a big hit, so to speak, and ring around the rosy was also quite a favorite. Let me say that for me, the whole experience was sublime. I think I was just glowing, watching him, cuddling with him on the floor, pushing my face into his hair when he threw himself into my lap. There was no part of this class I did not love.

After class, we ran over to the library for a bit, but didnÂ’t find the book I was looking for, the new Charles Todd mystery. Already checked out. Ah, well.

Then, lunch. We belong to a little club out here and went there since there was a buffet on Thursdays and that is always good with young ones, no waiting for food. He ate all the salmon I took for myself, some fruit, and was thus rewarded with cookies, again. This time without trickery, Tuning Spork! Although, I did get to watch him prove that every cookie, no matter what the dimensions, is actually a single serving, bite size cookie. Crumbs were flying out of his mouth with every bite since his mouth was so full he couldnÂ’t actually close it! That brought out the flying, diving napkin. We ate, we played hide and seek at the table, he shared the fish stickers he got at music class by pasting them on my shirt, too. Everyone in the dining room, mostly older woman, smiled at him. He does look like an angel and a good mood is infectious.

After lunch, a little shopping and then off to fetch his sister. He was so anxious to see her that he disrupted the class departure routine where a teacher sends each child out, one by one, into the hands of the appointed caregiver. Nope, not this time. This time, the Boy Child pushed past the teacher in the doorway, shouting his sisterÂ’s name until he found her and got his hug and kiss. Then, hand in hand, the two of them exited the class room and off we came home for naps. Their naps, not mine.

Anyway, IÂ’m off to prepare dinner for them so that they can eat when they get up. I am Mr. Domestic Guy today and loving it.

Tomorrow comes too soon and brings with it a return to the office life, the brief writing, the telephone, and the rude letters. Except, this time IÂ’ll know how much better I could be having it if I was home with my kids.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 04:14 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I don't have much here about my son. He's only two and he doesn't really talk, certainly not like his sister. But he did something so funny to me the other night that I wanted to make sure I wrote it down and didn't forget it. As I said earlier, we took my mother out for dinner for her birthday. After dinner, there was a dessert table. The Boy Child may not speak much, but he is clear on his like for all things dessert. So, I carried him over there and we selected some cookies for his plate. Happiness reigned. His word for cookies is the Norwegian word: Kake. Pronounced with equal emphasis on each syllable. Ka-Ke.

We go back to the table and he just gazes at his plate for a moment. Then, very methodically, he picks up each cookie, one by one, and takes a bite from each, putting the tasted cookie back on the plate before moving on to the next one. Then, having ranked them in his own mind in order of tastiness (I presume), he stuffs them into his mouth. The plate is now empty. He looks at me and pleads: Kake? As if to say, all gone, get more. One of his hands, however, is closed. So I say, show me your hand. He holds out his left hand, quite empty. I say, no, show me your other hand. He takes his left hand back and looks down at his hands, brow furrowed in concentration, and, slowly, uncurls the fingers of his right hand and then carefully transfers the two cookies from his right hand to his left hand. Transfer finished, he proudly displayed the now cookie-less right hand for my inspection.

All I could do was laugh. And yes, I gave him another cookie.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:44 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 Priceless!! It seems BC is a very good student of GC. As always, thanks for sharing.

Posted by: Wicked H at March 09, 2005 11:19 AM (iqFar)

2 The logic and perceptiveness of children is both amazing and charming. One day when my boy child was about two, I looked over and said, "Boy, behave!" He looked at me with a glint in his eye and replied, "But Mom, I'm being haved."

Posted by: JL at March 09, 2005 11:27 AM (Ul3xc)

3 Sweet, sweet story. I love it. The BC sounds so serious and determined!

Posted by: Amber at March 09, 2005 05:53 PM (zQE5D)

4 Those must have been some perty small cookies if he could hide 'em in his closed hand. No wonder he wanted more! Be careful y'don't reward decietful behavior just 'cause it's cute, though. Kids are always learning and testing their boundries. That's the only job they have at that age!

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 09, 2005 11:37 PM (+FXP6)

5 The two year old girls in the neighborhood better watch out! It looks like we've got a smooth one on our hands. So adorable. Your children really are incredible.

Posted by: C at March 10, 2005 01:05 AM (SpWVb)

6 Hehe. What a smooth operator. Just wait until he CAN talk well. ;-)

Posted by: Jim at March 10, 2005 05:58 AM (MDLz3)

7 Awww TS, RP and his wife are competent parents and BC will not fare any the worse for wear just because he got a cookie from Daddy by deceptive methods. He's TWO. Having said that --- I'd have given him a cookie, too. But you do realize that I'm a grandmother, now? We have a different set of rules from Mommies. Aheh.

Posted by: Margi at March 10, 2005 12:54 PM (lWAiX)

8 I sort of agree with both TS and Margi. Yes, kids will take advantage of any cracks in your facade, and you should not reward dishonesty. However, charm and creative problem-solving are always valuable characteristics to have!

Posted by: GrammarQueen at March 10, 2005 01:50 PM (Dccav)

9 Thanks for all the great comments. TS, you have a very good point, but just the same I think you have to reward them if they can make you laugh while they are trying to manipulate them. At least, maybe a little. I would have had to have had a much harder heart not to have responded to that little show he put on.

Posted by: RP at March 10, 2005 04:16 PM (X3Lfs)

10 Oh no! I don't think BC was being deceitful at all. Not at all...no, Random, you asked him to show you his hand. He was conflicted because there was something IN his left hand, so how could he show you his bare hand? That's why he transferred the cookies. It didn't occur to him to try and get away with anything. Just my take on it. (Am I going to be a GREAT Nana or what?? HA!)

Posted by: Amber at March 11, 2005 04:26 PM (zQE5D)

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You may recall a small post I did not too long ago about how the Girl Child and the Boy Child hold hands in the car where ever they go. Well, last night, the nanny gave us a picture she took. You can't see their faces in the picture, but I think it is a very powerful image notwithstanding.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:41 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 That's a wonderful picture, RP. My wife also enjoys your posts, and notes that when our youngest son, 4, is in an incorrigible state, our daughter, 6, is the one to take him in tow and cheer his mood: She's really quite helpful that way.

Posted by: Mark C N Sullivan at March 07, 2005 10:44 AM (q9XsZ)

2 Oh, will you stop driving these tears to my eyes, Random! That is a gorgous picture. Says volumes. The way their hands are clasped...*fights tears again* *sniffles*

Posted by: Amber at March 07, 2005 07:16 PM (zQE5D)

3 your best photo yet rp...it's not nice to make a pregnant woman cry.

Posted by: standing naked at March 07, 2005 10:30 PM (6FCAy)

4 That's a very sweet picture. And I'm very happy to see that you've got car clutter just like we do. Heh.

Posted by: Jim at March 08, 2005 05:30 AM (MDLz3)

5 I'm glad that you all liked the picture. Since I didn't say, the Girl Child is in the orange and the Boy Child in the black and gray coat.

Posted by: RP at March 08, 2005 09:07 AM (LlPKh)

6 fhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuiwapvfnhugggggggggggggggggggggggggggggriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiieowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwifcvnhjg!

Posted by: Raela at October 16, 2005 04:00 PM (R5NqD)

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We were returning home last night from taking my parents out to dinner to celebrate my mother's birthday and my daughter and I had the following conversation (remember, she's only four):

GC: What are you doing, Pappa?

Me: [thinking it was pretty darn obvious what I was doing behind the wheel of the car, responded with small sarcasm] Just hanging out. What are you doing?

GC: I'm just sitting back here watching you drive.

Me: How am I doing?

GC: Better. [small pause] That's all I can really say. Better.

Thus proving what every trial lawyer already knows: never ask an open ended question you don't know the answer to.

My wife almost went into convulsions next to me, muttering to herself, "its NY, everyone's a critic."

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:23 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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My wife was late at the dentist last night so I had the kids all to myself. I got home, inquired into the behavior of the children, determined that they had been good, and gave them a small bag of University Alumni M&M's that I had picked up at a University Alumni function the night before (blue and white colored with a University crest on the bag). Predictably, the children were delighted. The Girl Child sat down at the table with them and shared them with her brother, very evenly and without any prompting from me.

Than she taught him how to eat them. She placed a couple, quite carefully, on the kitchen table, then suctioned them right up, one at a time. The Boy Child was charmed by this new trick and decided he had to do it to. He put his down, he likes to have one in each hand generally, lowered his little head to the table, got his mouth as close as he could, then picked it up with his hand and popped it into his mouth. The Girl Child patiently corrected him and they sat there, two happy little clams, sucking M&M's into their mouths. At the end, the Girl Child's mouth was pristine. The Boy Child, on the other hand, looked as if he had carefully crushed all of his M&M's, wet them down, and rolled his face over them. He was covered in blue and white dye and chocolate. The Girl Child wanted to wash him but took one closer look and handed the wet paper towel back to me. After I finished cleaning him up, he held out his arms to show me where he had been wiping his mouth when I wasn't looking. We washed those, too.

Then we went upstairs, where the Girl Child promptly spotted a spider on the wall in the Boy Child's room. I instructed her to go fetch some tissue while I watched the spider to make sure it didn't get away. She ran off and I heard her calling to the Boy Child, who by that time had gone into my room, "Boy Child, come here and watch Pappa kill a spider!" Back they came, with tissue. Did you know that spiders can jump? This one could and he did, right onto the floor where I could not find him. I looked for a bit and gave up. Not the Girl Child, however, who spotted him lurking behind the garbage pail. I moved the pail, killed the spider and disposed of the remains. After announcing the spider's position, by the way, the Girl Child made a hasty advance in another direction (points given for anyone who knows what this is a reference to) and climbed up onto the couch. I turned to her after the deed was done to congratulate her for locating the spider and we had the following exchange:

Me: Good job! Give me a high five!

GC: [stops bouncing on couch, gives me high five, goes back to bouncing]

Me: You sure are one mean old spider killing girl.

GC: [abruptly stops bouncing to look at me squarely in the eye] I'm not mean. [pause for emphasis] I'm nice. Also, I don't kill the spiders. I just tell you where they are and you kill them. I'm a nice spider finding girl.

All she left out at the end of that sentence was: So there.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 08:45 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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