Friday, April 07, 2006

They really are like little sponges...

Last Friday, my daughter's grandmother bought her a red Little Tikes toy shopping cart. Leia loves the thing. She pushes it everywhere, dropping all manner of random objects into the basket, while happily exclaiming, "Shap-pee!" (Shopping, in case you don't speak baby.) Her stuffed animals even get to ride in the front. Great toy.

A few days ago Leia needed to have her diaper changed. Now, she's the kind of child who would gladly wear the same diaper 24/7, so usually she is not happy about a change. This was no exception. Usually I get a barrage of loud NOs when I change her. This time, however, she tearfully exclaimed, "Shap-pee!!! SHAPPEE!!!!"

"What? Leia, you can go shopping after we're done. Now hold still. Stop wiggling! Stop it!"

Later on, I had to wrestle her into her car seat when she clearly wanted to play "owside" instead. Again, instead of No, I got, "Shap-pee!" Except it sounded more like this: "Stap-pee!" Same reaction when I wouldn't let her stand on the kitchen chairs.

"Hmm," I thought, "Maybe she isn't talking about shopping. What's stap-pee?"

That evening as I tried fruitlessly to get her to watch a DVD so I could cook dinner, I became very frustrated with her whining at me to pick her up.

"Leia! No whining!! Stop it! STOP IT!!"

Stap-pee?

Oh. Now I get it.

Great, baby's first expletive. Granted, it's a mild one, but still, it's weird to hear her speak that way. Of course, now that I understand what she is trying to say it makes a lot more sense. It's pretty funny when I hear her in her car seat telling her Elmo phone to "stop it" when it doesn't do whatever it is she wants it to do. What blows me away is how she clearly picked it up from imitiating yours truly. (I know, duh, but she's my first and I'm making most of it up as I go.) They really do soak up everything you do and say.

I guess if I want her to stop I'll have to stappee as well.

7 comments:

Linda said...

I can only imagine what Grace is going to say one day soon, after enduring Rose's road rage!
And wait til you see how candid they are! They will say things you wish they never did, with impeccable timing.
Ain't parenthood grand? :)

Stacey said...

My cousin's first explative.... "Shit" while pointing at the television. Spending a little too much time around my foul-mouthed family... ha ha...

The difference here, seems like "Leia" gets what she's saying.

Lauren said...

Not an explative but... I spent today watching Grace, and when she woke up from her nap she went froom room to room saying Mama? Dada? and when she couldn't find the she shouted "Hey Marc!" (sounding quite pissed off)

Lore said...

lol too!

Roe said...

Will wandered in to me at the age of three and announced that the "f'ing TV isn't working." And he didn't say f'ing, if you catch my drift. It was a proud moment in parenthood history...

Stacey said...

One of my favorites was when Will said "Calm down Michael..."

Roe said...

That was pretty funny. Alex now says, "Take a break, Mike!"