Back in January I wrote a post about "TwinSpeak" (click here for that post). Lately I've been thinking a lot about TwinSpeak because Kyle and Owen are suddenly so very, very verbal. Sometimes I almost can't even believe it myself, but seriously-- I can have full blown conversations with them now!!! And every, every, every, every single day they say something so funny that I'm almost peeing my pants laughing. Their language is so sophisticated now that I rarely don't understand them. They are totally capable of verbally communicating just about everything that they want to convey. And yet they still have certain TwinSpeak words that they both use; little remnants of their TwinSpeak; specific words that Kyle and Owen -- as twins -- have developed and use; unique words that only each other (and sometimes Braydon, or I, or other people who spend a lot of time with them) understand. One of the most fascinating parts about TwinSpeak is how twins continue to refer to certain things in their specific "twinspeak"-way long after they know-and-are-fully-capable-of referring to those things in the "correct" way. For example...
Despite being fully aware of the "correct" way of saying these things, and despite being fully capable of saying these things "correctly," when speaking with each other or in each other's presence (and only then), Kyle and Owen both still consistently say:
- unck (pronounced, with a grunt, "uh-en-ck!") = orange (the color)
- bulgadada (pronounced, "bull-ga-da-da") = bulldozer
- fird beeder = bird feeder
- whooping crane = whipped cream
Note: if they are on their own, out of ear shot of the other, they will say each of these words "correctly."
Tonight a funny TwinSpeak thing happened. There is some background info that is necessary here--- 1) Since we're really in the throws of some semi-serious potty training, lately we've been talking a lot about underpants around here. Mostly this is in the context of me saying things like, "Look boys! I wear underpants! I don't wear diapers! I don't wear pull-ups! I wear underpants!!!" The boys, especially Owen, are very interested in the whole concept of underpants. 2) For a long time I have had a koosh ball basketball hoop in my office, but it has gone unused for years. Late this afternoon I had the boys in my office with me and to occupy them I got out the basketball hoop for them to shoot koosh balls into. They loved it and I decided I may as well bring it home for them. When we got home I set it up in the kitchen.
So, this evening as I was making dinner Kyle and Owen were trying to throw balls into the basketball hoop in the kitchen. Here's what transpired:
Owen: Look Kyle, underpants!
[I hear this and kind of giggle to myself. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Owen with his hands down and his head looking down -- I figure he's pretending he has underpants on, or something like that]
Kyle: Yes! Underpants Owen!
Owen: Kyle, I can do underpants! Not you! Just me! I can do underpants!
Kyle: [annoyed/mad] No Owen, I can do underpants too!
Owen: No! Not you! Not you Kyle! Just Owen do underpants! You can't do underpants! You can't!
Kyle: [now really very annoyed/mad] No Owen! I can do underpants!
Owen: No! Not you! No underpants for you!
[at this point I know I need to intervene -- a major brawl is about to break out any second -- so I stop what I'm doing with dinner prep and start to move toward them]
Kyle: [now in full-body meltdown mode, about to physically attack his brother] No Owen! No! I can do underpants! Underpants for me too! Yes! Underpants!
Owen: [running for dear life away from Kyle, and starting to lose it] No underpants for you Kyle!
Me: BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! STOP IT!!!!!! Owen and Kyle, both boys can have underpants when both boys go on the potty like big boys.
Owen: No mama.
Kyle: Mama, NO!
Me: Yes! You can both have underpants when you're ready. Right now you have no underpants.
Owen: [now in a complete hysteric state, on the verge of a total emotional breakdown] No, no, no, mommy, no! Only Owen can do underpants.
Me: [I feel like I'm now on the scene of some sort of crazy toilet-training mediation stake-out] Owen, you are doing so good on the potty. But Kyle will get underpants too, when Kyle is ready.
Kyle: Mommy, watch this! [He has found the koosh ball and is holding it over his head. I turn to watch him as he throws it up toward the hoop]
Me: [feeling very relieved at this sign that they will potentially soon be distracted enough by the basketball hoop to drop the whole underpants thing] Wow Kyle! Great job!
Owen: Mommy, watch this! [He takes the koosh ball and holds it dramatically down between his legs, he then proceeds to very dramatically throw it up toward the hoop]
Me: Wow Owen! Great job!
Kyle: See mommy??? Underpants! Owen can do underpants!!!
Owen: Yes! And not Kyle! Kyle can't do underpants! Only Owen!
Me: Oh! You mean underhand?!!! Owen can throw the ball underhand!
[They both look at me like I'm stupid.]
Owen: Yes, underpants.
Kyle: [saying it slowly] U-n-d-e-r-p-a-n-t-s.
Me: You say, underhand.
[They both blatantly blow me off and turn away from me.]
Owen: Look Kyle, underpants!
Kyle: Yes! Underpants Owen!
Owen: Kyle, I can do underpants!
Kyle: Yes Owen! You do underpants! Watch this Owen...
..... and they continue playing as though nothing ever happened.....
1 comment:
That is hilarious! :-)
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