MAN! TRUCK! MAAANNNN! TRRRUUUCKKKK!

I think the one of the coolest parts of watching your kids grow is experiencing their language development. It is so unique for each child - and continues to change for at least 4 1/2 years (that's how old Brother is and he's still developing his speech). I assume it will continue to change. Otherwise, I guess he'll be 35 some day telling his wife that he needs to go "poo" and then he's going to take the "quickest bath ever so that he has lots of time to play, play, play!"

Little Bitty has been more consistent than Brother with what be considered the "average" time-frame for talking... and her annunciation is definitely that of a just-two-year-old. It has actually been really fun to watch because it is so different from our first experience; Brother - who was telling knock-knock jokes at 18 months. In fact, a favorite memory was when we met our new pediatrician for the first time after moving. She walked in the room and said to our little guy, "Hi. How are you?" to which he answered, "I'm fine. And you?" She laughed and asked "How OLD are you?" to which he answered, "twenty-one months."

So, Little Bitty has taken a more traditional route and it is fun to watch her try out new words and then repeat them over and over. She communicates just as well as Brother did - but in a different way. Yesterday she made it very clear that she was hoping the ice cream man would come.

Little Bitty (placing her hand to her ear): Daddy! Man! Hear! Truck!

Daddy: Yes, we'll listen and see if we hear the man in the truck. If so, we'll get ice cream.

LB: DADDY! MAN! TRUCK! HEAR!

Daddy: I know, sweetie. We'll listen for him.

LB (calling down the street): MAN!!!! TRUCK!!!!!

Daddy (so patiently): He'll probably come later. We'll listen for him.

LB (shrieking to the point of risking a sore throat): DADDY! HEAR! MAAANNNN! TRUUUCKCKCKCK! MOMMY! MAN! TRUCK! HEAR!!!!

And so the conversation went for 15 more minutes or so. You can just imagine her delight when he actually showed up a few hours later and we heard his song and truck coming down our road. Oh happy day. MAN! TRUCK! Bomb pops!

She was less impressed as he explained to Mommy and Daddy that we don't always have to scrounge for cash - he'll take checks - or even a Corona Cigar as payment.