focabulary...

I might just be biased because she's my girl, but I've always been impressed with Ruby's vocabulary. She started speaking pretty early; and when she spoke, it was always easy to understand her. She has surprised me over the last year or two by adding new words, big words (relatively speaking) to her repertoire. Words like - absolutely, positively, fantastic, and wonderful - are some of my all-time favorites. I don't know, I guess they're not really big words, just words that aren't heard often from most 2 and 3 year olds. I think she picks up a lot of her vocabulary from her favorite cartoon show Charlie and Lola. It's about two little brittish kids (brother and sister), who have the most irresistible little english accents. It's enchanting to watch these two interact, and to hear some of the things that they say...especially Lola - she's hilarious. I know for a fact that it was at the hand of Lola that Ruby started opining everything to be her favorite and her best. "Mom," she'll say to me "this chocolate bar is my favorite and my best" or "mom, this book is my favorite and my best". She's also been known to combine words making her own special Ruby words. Fantastical is probably my favorite. She uses this one a lot. Back in October, after I had finished sewing my Wendy costume for Halloween, I held it up for Ruby to look at. I'll never forget her reply "Oh mom, (in the most drah-ma-tic little voice) it looks so fantastical and pretty"! She has used this one several times since. To her, something might be wonderful and fantastical, or absolutely fantastic, or positively wonderful...I simply love the combinations she comes up with.
I think she does a fairly good job of putting her sentences together and using her words in the right context, however there are several words that she just hasn't mastered yet. Here are a few:

fantastical (once again, my favorite and my best..ha)
gorilla bar for granola bar
alligator for elevator
tummy egg for tummy ache (This one is particularly funny because of how literally she understands it. She thinks that if you eat too much, rather than feeling those uncomfortable stomach pains from overeating (or a tummy ache), your stomach will actually take on the shape of a giant egg from all that excess food. You know- a tummy egg...duh!)
nakeup for makeup
net's go for let's go
nast night for last night
bunton for button
accinent for accident
valentime's day (I think it's funny that for as much as she uses the 'n' sound in words that don't have an 'n', she actually substitutes the 'n' for an 'm' in this one.)
oar for our
borilla for umbrella
colthd for cold
lose for use
olthd for old
yestuhday (refers to anything in the past, be it a day or a year)
hanatizer for hand sanitizer

Sometimes John will try to correct her when she uses some of the above words or phrases. I always stop him. I find it so endearing, so redolent of right here and right now, so characteristic of her age and her youth...which we all know will not last forever. Before we know it, she will make those corrections on her own. Of course, when that happens, I know we will just long for the days when she wanted to push all the buntons on the alligator, and when we ate so many gorilla bars that we got tummy eggs, and then headed back to oar house to escape from the colthd. Yes, before we know it - these days, these experiences - will be tomorrow's (and next year's) nast nights; and be thought of, referred to, and talked about as "the good olthd days" of yestuhday.

On a different note, Ruby has finally mastered writing her name. In fact, she leaves her little mark (one which she cannot blame on Asher) on just about everything. A couple of days ago she wrote her name on a pink balloon and gave it to me as a memento. I am her biggest fan, so it was quite an honor to recieve a personal autograph.