And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

Hmm. There must have been a reason for that brief political interlude, but I've forgotten what it was (not!). Anyway, Benjy is much more interesting than taxes (although gratitude is a nice subject). And today I've been thinking about his early attempts at talking.

First of all, Ben was a very late talker. Until he was at least two he spoke mostly in an alien tongue. Then, slowly, the words came -- but in funny ways.

For the longest time he substituted Ws for Ls (that's a nice umbrewwa"). I think he was six when he got the hang of Ls.

He also substituted Ts for Cs. So, his ABA therapist was known as "Tortney." And popcorn was (this is my all-time favorite) "pop-torns."

He used the most charming locutions: "May you give me a drink?" "Can I feel you better?"

Chipmunks were "chickmunks." And for a while, I, Readers, was a "muvver." In the cockney-est sort of way.

Of course, Saskia had some howlers, most notably, "Ornage" for orange, and "sike" for slide (as in, "is the ornage sike sleeping?" -- that's what my sister-in-law, J--, told her when she wanted J-- to take her to the park and J-- was tired or busy with something else).  

But the hands-down funniest thing Benjy ever said was the day he announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Striped Nickel!" I've already written about that -- see "Benjy and the Striped Nickel."

In what funny ways did/do the children in your lives use language?