Lately, I feel like I’m using a lot of the same words over and over again when I talk to the girls. It’s almost as if you could replace me with a tape player of only 6 words, and everything would be the same. Some of these words I never used before becoming a mom, others I used, but nowhere near as much. These words are now pillars of toddler communication at our house, and for that reason, they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. In no particular order, here are the 6 words I can’t live without:
Super – Although Dora the Explorer was only in our lives for a very short stint (you know, just long enough for me to question her existence and plan a birthday party around her), there are remnants. This word is one of them. In one of the episodes…or many, I’m not sure, they all run together really…Dora was saying how they had to run “super fast” and talk “super loud”. At first, I thought this word was my friend and could help me get Greenleigh ready for school faster in the morning, but alas, it doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t stop me from trying though.
Tummy – Heading into cold and flu season, I’m constantly asking if the girls are feeling okay. Which means asking if their tummy hurts. Long, long ago, I had a stomach. If I was feeling sick, I had a stomach ache. In 2009, all that changed and suddenly I had a “tummy”. A cuter, softer version of the exact same word. In fact, the only time I ever remember using the word “tummy”, prior to Greenleigh being born was when my mother would ask me if I had a tummy ache. I guess it really is a mom thing.
Share – While Greenleigh will tell you that “Sharing is Caring”, she has no idea what that means because her sharing is a bit rusty. Before having kids, this word was tucked away in my vocabulary and hardly ever used. Now it’s an hourly event. If I haven’t said “Share!” (trust me, the exclamation point is necessary and almost always used) at least once an hour, my day isn’t complete.
Special – In an effort to make potty training easier, I decided to offer treats. But not just any treats, these treats were special – a special sticker, a special craft, a special snack. I even (somewhat accidentally) made the use of one of the bathrooms in our house special. Of course, there’s no difference between special and regular, but she doesn’t know that. Shhhh…don’t tell. Potty training is pretty much complete, but Greenleigh remembers things that are “special” so I continue making them that way. This morning she had special chocolate milk on the way to school.
No – Oh, come on, you had to know this one was on the list somewhere! As much as I try not to say “no” every other minute of the day, I say it much more than I ever did before Greenleigh was born. It was actually one of Hazeline’s first words. True story. Well, after “mine”.
Potty – Before I started potty training Greenleigh it was a bathroom or toilet. Now, it’s a potty. I promised myself I would never call it a potty. I just don’t like the word for some reason. But I suppose it is called “potty training” after all, and the word finagled it’s way into my vocabulary. Unfortunately, it hasn’t left. I know for a fact that I never talked so much about bathroom behavior or the “potty” before I had kids.
What are some of the words you can’t live without?
