What's in a word?

Today at lunch John and I decided to make a list of all the words Daniel knows. These are not the words he understands, there are far more of those. These are words he uses personally and correctly in context. I’ll write them in phrases, so you know the types of things he is communicating:

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• Little bit (usually referring to how many vegetables he would like on his plate)
• See you tomorrow (to his teacher at the end of the day)
• More please (usually referring to the main entrée or meat dish)
• Please stop (to his sister)
• Go faster (about moms driving)
• Airplane (we live within 10 minutes of DFW airport so this is a VERY commonly used word for Daniel)
• Church
• School
• Computer (but it sounds more like ‘cuuuuuum puter’, very cute)
• Broken (referring to the ‘cuuuuum puter’ that dad is building from spare parts for the kids)
• Mommy
• Daddy
• Cosette
• Onyx (baby cat)
• Molly (2 yr old cat)
• Grandma
• Opa
• Isabelle (Sounds like ‘it’s a ball’ our 7 year old neighbor)
• Please TV (usually with a begging whinny tone)
• Teacher
• Mrs. Carroll (his teacher’s name)
• Good job (he is quick to affirm, love this about him)
• Outside (he always wants to be outside, except when Cosette is inside)
• Inside
• Cat
• All done? (Usually asking if Cosette is finished with her home work yet)
• No thank you
• Excuse me
• Toilet
• Bathroom
• Why?
• Hungry
• Eat
• Look
• I don’t know (anytime he doesn’t understand. Sounds more like “I du no”
• Play (usually asking Cosette to do so)
• Bingo
• Wash hands (after toilet)
• Brush teeth
• Shoe
• Socks
• My (me, mine, etc. with usage similar to a 2 year old)
• My turn
• Fork
• Numbers 1-20 (higher sometimes, but not consistently, for some reason he skips the 6 in each set over 20. For example he says 23, 24, 25, 27, 28…)
• Car
• Truck
• Daniel (He often speaks in third person, but it’s cute)
• Pick up (his room)
• Room
• Help
• Go? (Usually about getting to go in the truck with Dad somewhere)
• House
• Careful
• Gentle

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones we witnessed today between lunch and bed time. During dinner Daniel was trying to tell us something. He said it several times, with increasing frustration. Finally Cosette figured it out. He was saying "Me speak English". Yes dear, you are an amazing child and you are speaking English.

Christmas Blessings,

Tonya