Third Person Present

A few weeks ago, Kenny started understanding the intricacies of speaking in more complete sentences.   What was once, “Tai-tais, pa-lease” has become, “Kenny some tai-tais now!   Pa-lease!”   (I should probably mention that in spite of his excellent pronounciation of most words, he still calls strawberries “tai-tais” and bananas “b-la-las”   I have a sneaking suspicion that it is deliberate, as he gets a real kick out of the giggles and smiles we offer when he pronounces his favorite fruits that way.)   “Hode it” has become “Kenny hode it!” (hold it) and “Pee pee potty” is now “Kenny pee pee on da potty!”

In other words, he has come to understand that he needs to distinguish himself when making a request, yet lacks the ability to translate his own name into the pronoun “I.”   I have to say, I am in no hurry to correct him, as there is something infinitely charming about him running through the house with his constant narrtive babble, speaking in the third person present.   “Kenny hode you” means, “Mama, please hold me!” and “Kenny walk self!” means that he wants to walk wherever we are going by himself, without being held or confined to the stroller.   All day I hear, “Kenny snacktime” and “Kenny juice?   Juuuuuuuuuuuu-cie?” (as if the missing sippy cup is going to burst out and say, “Here I am!”), and “Kenny read it” when he is holding a book in his lap.   He even self-corrects, as in “Kenny stand up table!   Oh, no!   Sit down Kenny!   Down!   O-Bay Mama!” and he commands Dudley, “Dudley sit!   Dood boy!”   And on Mondays when we head out to MOPS, it’s, “Kenny play friends; Mama coffee wid ladies.”   When the landscaper broke our window last week, it was “Outside guy bwoke window!   Assident.    Kenny no touch… ga-lass… Kenny hurt!” then two days  later,  “Window guy fix it!   Kenny touch it!”

He is such a charmer, my little guy.  And such a talker!   But I’m glad, and it’s fun to start having little conversations with him as we spend our days together.   Now if I can only figure out how to get him to let me get a word in edgewise…