s--David has figured out that to make a word plural, you add an ‘s’ sound at the end. So, he really really adds his ‘s’. That’s how we get bookes, shirtes, and bootes. Of course, it happens to work with boxes.

gorgeous—David was looking at a picture Rose was drawing and told her it was gorgeous. I’m sure he got this from me. But I can’t tell if he’s picked up the Great Neck, New York intonation I try to add in honor of my grandmother.

whiff on me—You have to understand that I have never done any drugs, but that doesn’t stop me from rocking out to the Old Crow Medicine Show’s song “Cocaine Habit.” But when I’m rocking out to it the car and David is singing along about snorting coke. . .um, oops. Luckily, he hasn’t picked up any of the Amy Winehouse lyrics.

chugachug choo choo—David certainly drives his fire engine around the house, but he makes the same sound when he’s driving an airplane, a car, or riding a horse.

the end part—The kid is funny, really really funny. I told him I would help him fix the day/night window on the Strawberry Shortcake paperdoll house after I finished reading the story to Rose, and he said, with a devilish grin in his eye, “The End part.” It was a joke, ok, you just had to be there.

good job David—I read the Alfie Kohn book about not overpraising (actually he might say never praising) your child, so I thought I was avoiding “good picture,” and saying “wow, look at all that red,” but David seems quite clear that when you do a good job, it gets announced loud and clear. So, when he makes a basket, he tells himself “good job, David.” I actually Kohn would approve of self-praise.

Hi Rose—RoRo, his pet name for his sister, seems to be leaving his vocabulary, but it’s still sweet to see him look at her across the dinner table and shout a greeting.