Language

A casual acquaintance whom I see every now and again always asks me how Phoebe's English is. I answer this polite inquiry politely and patiently. The question has started to rankle me some of late, though. Phoebe's been home now for nearly 9 months, and her comprehension and speech have long been well within or even above norms for her age. It's not even something we've given a second thought to for months.

But tonight, as we were getting Phoebe ready for bed, she did something that made me actually give a thought to her language development, and how remarkable the process is. I was sitting on the footstool to Phoebe's rocker reading books (she often kicks me out of the chair itself so she can sit there). Phoebe went to the bookcase and got "Goodnight Moon" (the fifth book of the evening, if you only count the three complete readings of "Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear" as one book). I took the book from her as she climbed back in the rocker, and I started to read. Phoebe grabbed the book from me, saying "no, Daddy. Phoebe read." This she then proceeded to do, after a fashion. She turned the pages one by one, and when she got to the "quiet old lady whispering 'hush'", Phoebe put her fingers to her lips and said "hush."

Pretty routine, I suppose, for any two-year old. They like repetition, and they all get to know their favorite stories by heart. But Phoebe never heard a word of English until just about a year ago, and has only been hearing it in earnest for 9 months.

Other changes in her language skills have been piling up of late as well. Alesa and I are becoming "mommy and daddy"; "mama and dada" are being left behind. The change isn't complete yet, but it's been going on for a few weeks. Phoebe is speaking almost entirely in sentences of at least two words now -- mostly imperatives ("move daddy" is a common one). Phoebe also talks to herself in bed a lot now, when we put her down and when she wakes up.

I still wish her "spakoina nochee" (Russian for "good night") when we put her down, but I doubt she has any clue what it means, or memory of hearing it in Russia. In a few years, I'm sure she'll ask. And if she wants to reconnect to the Russian language then, we live in an area where you can't swing a cat without hitting a Russian emigre, so the chances will be there for her to do it. N.B. No actual cats were swung or in any other way mistreated in composing this post. Neither do I endorse, encourage, condone or recommend such behavior in any way. That said, dogs rule.

I'm going to check on her now, and then hit the sack myself. Spakoina nochee.