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Thursday, August 04, 2005

Define Baby

A few days ago the boys hatched a plan to irritate me using one of my pet peeves - baby-talk. I absolutely hate baby-talk. I never even used it when my children were newborns. I have always talked to them more or less as adults and expected that, in time, they would understand what I was saying. My mother used to say when Deanna was two that she talked like a University Professor. All that adult talk paid off.

And baby-talk can become a habit so quickly. Only a few sentences and, it being so cutesy and all, before you know it, you're crooning like a half-looped great-grandmother.

I immediately responded with my "That will stop this very minute" speech. Dane poked out his bottom lip (which is a sure sign that at least he heard me, something that runs in very short measure around our house), slumped his shoulders, and said okay. Daelyn, on the other hand, just sat looking at me with that seeing right through you stare. A few minutes later, I heard Daelyn used a high-pitched squeeky baby voice again.

"Son," I said, rather harshly, "I told you to stop talking like a baby. I'm not going to tell you again."

"But, Mama," he responded, again giving that sizing-me-up look, "I AM a baby!"

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