Eloise Language

"Slimantucka. You know what that means Mama? It means I'm a great climber."

Eloise has been using her own made up words a lot lately. I don't know what inspires her but I am enjoying this introduction into her imagination, even when I have no idea what she is talking about. Eloise has been using her made up language as she plays, an activity that has suddenly become much more independent. She hosts grand conversations between her Playmobil, dolls and Barbies, making up obscure names and interesting words. She's taken to crawling into the space between our tv console and living room chair with her Playmobil animals and a selection of odds and sods, engaging with her toys and playing quietly for an hour. It's all quite fascinating.

Here is a snippet of Eloise's language:

Mantale - "A good cooker"

Escapoling Margrite Dudy - "Legs in the front"

Gido - "A kind of animal the crawls; it goes 'rar' and wears headbands" 

Naninja - "That's a shadow"

Rainp - "A type of fish that peoples take home and put in a fish tank"

Bainy - "A friend"

Eloise doesn't seem to repeat her invented words more than once, but this just means there is something new brewing in her imagination. With a language like these I'd say we're one step away from Elvish.

Eloise Speak

As we round the corner to three Eloise's ability to converse is no longer fragmented and is mostly understandable. She likes to talk on the phone and often asks to call Gaga just to say hi, which I get a kick out of. Beyond this she says all sorts of funny things that give me an indication of the little person she has become. It also gives me an indication that we reallllly need to watch what we say. And as I like to remind our friends, if Eloise drops an eff-bomb anytime soon I am holding them 100% responsible.

This is Eloise Speak, the 2 years, 11 months edition:

Eloise asked Chris as we were cooking dinner the other night: "Do you like beer daddy? I don't. I just like wine. But baby's don't like wine." Can you pick out the good lesson in there? Pregnancy and alcohol don't mix people (unless it's a little glass of champagne... but Eloise doesn't need to repeat that).

When Eloise gets frustrated she now says to me: "I told you 10 times!" Saying this to Mommy is not allowed, Eloise, but it also reminds Mommy not to say it to you. Crap.

As an answer to all sorts of questions Eloise answers, "Perhaps."

"Peace out." This one makes me laugh and more so that it's normally reserved for my brother and complimented with a pound. I just about fell over the first time Eloise said it.

When Eloise is concerned, she'll look at me and say, "That's just terrible." Come to think of it, "I'm very concerned," is another favourite.

"I'm not feeling well good," is what Eloise says when she really doesn't want to do something. What she means to say is she "isn't feeling very well", but her way of explaining is much funnier. Eloise is usually "not feeling well good" when we want her to do things like finish her dinner, get in the bath or generally cooperate.

"So, how was your day?" Eloise asks Chris and I as we sit down to dinner.

Princesses Say Pardon

Somewhere along the way Eloise has picked up the word "huh?" which is one of my least favourite, commonly used expressions. It sounds rude, even crass, especially coming out of the mouth of a sweet little girl. In close second would be "you guyses" and the overuse of "got", but we thankfully haven't encountered either of these yet.

I told Eloise that princesses don't say 'huh' they say 'pardon me'. She thought this was quite funny and then seriously considered what I was saying. "I'm a princess mama," Eloise replied.

"That's right, love, you are," I agreed. "And princesses always say pardon or pardon me if they don't hear something the first time. They never say huh"

Then, no word of a lie, Eloise said, "huh?"

Sigh.

Because

I remember being taught in grade one never to start a sentence with the word because. I don't remember the reason why. Because it was the rule. Something about fragments. (Oh grammar humour!)

Eloise has blown right through this rule and has been using because at the beginning of sentences to defend her feelings. I'll ask, "Eloise, why are you crying?" and she'll answer, without caring to elaborate, "Because I feel sad."

Or at dinner time, "Because I want to eat dinner on the couch."

Running from the dog, "Because No-nee is really smelly!"

Or, "Because I want to wear my ballet shoes to bed." Can't argue with that.

This same grade one teacher taught me to sing the tune to happy birthday as I spelled out b-e-c-a-u-s-e and I must have been in my teens before I could spell the word without singing the song. If Eloise is going to say because so frequently, it's not too early for her to spell it too, right?

Dos and Dont's

Eloise has recently learned how to use do and don't and her sentences have included lots of both lately. "I like pink. Mama, do you?" sounds quite high brow coming out of the mouth of a two year old, and I love that Eloise asks "do you like" of everything from smoothies (yes) to swimming (not really) to her favourite peep, Pengin (of course!).

Eloise's discovery of "I don't want to!" means we officially have a talker-backer. The agressive  "I don't want to get dressed!" and "No Noods, go! I don't want you here!" are alternated with the definitive "I don't want to eat breakfast" and "No sanks, I don't want to go to bed."

At least attempts a thanks, right?

Phrases & Observations

Eloise said her first word at 10 months so its no surprise she is speaking in complete (albeit somewhat broken) sentences a year and a half later. Some of the things she comes out with are a little surprising - "did you hear that?!" - and Chris and I are constantly giggling about the new expressions she uses. Here are a few phrases and observations Eloise has used recently:

"Lets get outta here!"

"Aw, look at that twuck, it's so tiny!"

"Hold on mama, I forgot to get my peeps."

"Grrrr, I scare the trees. Rarrrr, trees!"

"I have a vacuum too, okay Mama? A pink one for Christmas."

"I looking at No-nees poops, they gwoss," Eloise says looking out the window. "Clean poops is Dada's big job. It's a big job."

"Oh, come on!"

"No way, Jose."

"Shhh, it's okay Pengie, nothing be scared of. He's cwying, I his Mama."

Eloise covers her eyes with her hands: "Where'd she go? Eddybody seen Eloise? She's hiding!"

"Mama? Want you go upstairs? Okay, come on then! I go first, I gallop."

Could Be

When I suggest something to Eloise she has taken to answering with a sentence that starts with 'could be' rather than a simple yes or no.

"Would you like to have some lunch?" she answers, "could be really yummy?"

To "let's go read books in bed," Eloise will say, "could be really cozy."

And sometimes Eloise will suggest that an activity, like chasing the dog, "could be really funny."

Eloise's 'could be' is sometimes a question and sometimes a statement. It is not a phrase that we use, so I'd say it 'could be' something she's come up with all on her own.

Whe-are-you?

I'd say I spend about 90% of my day trying to get stuff done and entertain Eloise simultaneously. Without tv this involves countless creativity and lots of effort, and I often wish for a Mary Poppins "And snap, the job's a game!" moment when I'm stuck. If only it was that easy.

I also attempt to do approximately 27 things at a time, only somewhat successfully. Trying to pack lots into a short amount of time makes sense at first but always leaves me somewhat frazzled and inevitably five minutes late for nearly everything. When I am running behind it is only natural that I forget or lose things. This doesn't sit well for Eloise who's patience runs thin when I promise her we're going to the park/store/a playdate/her activity and have her fully dressed in the foyer while I run around. To keep her happy and occupied I've started asking her to help me find things by saying, "Oh keys, where are you? Hmm ... do you think they're under here?" which buys me a few minutes while I complete one of the nine other things I need to do (or convince myself I need to do) before we leave the house.

Clearly this game has caught on and Eloise now uses "Where are you?" on her own terms with her toys. "Whe-are-you Baby Emma?" when her doll is buried beneath peeps and "Oh Mama, whe-are-you" when I attempt to pee alone. She makes a game of searching for favourite books and the dog, it's very cute. And useful when I need a moment to finish up a task.

I lost lost my car keys for all of last week and basically gave up looking for them after checking all of my usual hiding spots like my coat pockets and the depths of my purse (so sticky). The "Where are you?" game was no use, though Eloise did try to help, and I eventually found my keys in the bottom of a bag of newborn sleepers stashed under her bed. Not where I would typically keep keys, but I threw the bag under her bed in an effort to do a two-minute-clear-the-clutter-tidy and it almost makes sense that this is where they would end up. Almost.

More Hoes

There is a backhoe working in the neighbour's yard and Eloise is transfixed. She loves vehicles of every kind - cars, buses, the recycling truck, semis on the highway - and the fact that there is a construction vehicle working right next door is just too exciting.

We went outside to have a look and I explained that the vehicle was called a backhoe. Eloise is running around the house now yelling, "I want the hoe! More hoes!"

We just poked our heads out for another peek and she greeted the backhoe driver with a very loud, "Hey hoe!" If only she knew...

This Is Two

dinner conversation

I am blown away at the changes that have occurred in Eloise in just two weeks. Since turning two she is talking more, stringing together longer sentences, expressing herself differently, and is sassier and more spirited. She has suddenly become a person and I don't know if I'm quite ready for this; not going to lie, I already miss the baby she was just a few months ago.

Her conversations have become longer and she will have them with anyone who will listen: Chris and I, the dog, strangers in the grocery line, her peeps or the mirror.

Yesterday after lunch: 

"Mama, I cwying, " she said sadly, pouting dramatically.

"Why are you crying Eloise? Are you okay?"

"I sad. I fell down."

"Were you putting your feet up on the table like I asked you not to?" I asked after seeing her wedged between the couch and coffee table.

"Ya. I no do that. I fine."

This morning:

"Mama, I no wake up!" Eloise ran in to tell me after sleeping through the night for the first time in two months.

"I'm so proud of you Eloise! Good job for staying asleep. Same tonight, okay?"

"I wake up?" she asks.

"No, no, you stay asleep."

"I twy. Mama's tired." 

Alone in her room:

"Hey Nemo. How going? Good? Ok."

"I love Papa-Gaga. And pink."

"Pwetty, pwetty butterfwy. Pwetty, pwetty butterfwy. Oh Barbie!"

On a walk:

"Weaaacch... big stwech," Eloise said from the stroller.

"What are you stretching for, love?"

"I weach. I weach the cwowds. I stretch up to cwowds, no catch them."

Nemo's Dad

{finding nemo}

Eloise has taken a strong liking to Nemo. It all started when I put on Finding Nemo one day while she was sick but soon realized that about 80% of it is far too scary for a toddler. I basically skipped to the points when Nemo is happy and Dory is funny, which actually doesn't leave much, but clearly she liked what she saw. So we watched those parts again. And again. Add to this a Nemo & Dory-adorned board book that came home with us after a trip to "DR Designs" (aka the Dollarama) and Nemo is the word around here. Eloise is also convinced he lives in our pond with Marlin but I haven't felt it necessary to explain that those are really just orange goldfish.

As Eloise snuggles up to me at bed time she often says, "I wuv you," but now, with the Nemo book sandwiched between us, she ends the sentence with "Dad." Fair enough, it makes sense that she loves Chris, but this still is followed by, "I wuv Nemo's Dad, Marn." (That would be Marlin, or Marn if you can't yet say your Ls).

"I wuv you, Dad. Nemo's Dad. Ya, Marn."

My guess is this is some amalgamation of a few lines from the movie? Poor Chris just assumed Eloise was talking about him.

Oh My Gosh

With Eloise's birthday last Saturday she received some really lovely gifts and certainly seems to have a handle on the awesomeness of this birthday thing. I agree, it is pretty great. Not only do people present you with gifts, there's cake!

The best part about Eloise's gift receiving were the expressions she used when opening her gifts. "Ohhh my gosh!" is what Eloise exclaimed as she pulled a new pair of rain boots and matching jacket out of the bag and "it's awesome!" was her response to a Thomas the Train that talks.

Add to these new expressions like "wonderful," "grrreeat!" and "so fun!" and I can hardly wait to hear what Eloise comes out with this Saturday at her birthday party. Her excitement is so genuine I dread the day when we hear the inevitable, "I already have this one!"

Eloise Speak

As Eloise creeps closer to two the phrases that come out of her mouth get better and better. Real sentences too, though sometimes these are impossible to understand by people other than Chris and I. Mostly they make me laugh, but sometimes they serve as a reminder that we really do need to watch every word we say.

Some of my favourites to date were uttered today:

"Mama wake up! Mommy's tired, have coffee?" How perceptive. Mommy is tired, Eloise, and I do need coffee. Can you make it?

"I naked! I bouncing naked!" Doesn't need much of a description, but I assure you this is an 'at home' activity only. Beds make good trampolines.

"I love pink." Me too, girlfriend.

"Go back, Mama. I find Nemo," Eloise said as we strolled an aisle at Dollarama. She did find Nemo ... that sneaky fish was hiding on the cover of a book that somehow made its way into our cart.

"Hi, girls!" said Eloise to a Mom and her little girl walking into Michaels. She then proceeded to follow the very shy little girl around saying, "Hi friend."

"Uh, never mind" and "Whatever." These are said with a scoff and therefore fit into the 'watch what I say' category.

Happy Birfday

It must be because birthdays are plentiful amongst our family and friends in the first quarter of the year, but Eloise has taken to listing off enthusiastic happy birthdays to a good selection of her favourite people, at very random times like before she goes to sleep, when she's eating lunch and in the car.

In Eloise's own words:

"Happy birfday Chance. Happy birfday Fwy. Happy Birfday Aunty Twacy. Happy Birfday Amph. Happy birfday Nanny. Happy birfday Unky T. Happy birfday Steve. Happy birfday Wuby."

Don't be offended if your name was not included, there's always next quarter.

Barbies & Princes

{colette}

In Eloise's reality any woman all done up - she could be a model, a ballerina, or begrudgingly, Nicki Manij - is a Barbie. She excitedly says so any time we see one in a book or on tv.

Since watching Eloise at the Plaza a dozen times now she has also decided that any man in a suit must is a Prince. Makes sense to me.

A few years ago Karl Lagerfeld did an exhibit at Colette, the extremely cool Parisian fashion retailer, featuring Barbie and model Baptiste Giabiconi as Ken. I feel this is pretty much what Eloise is imagining when she says Barbies & Princes.

Eloise Speak

Peeps [pë'pz]
n
1. Soft, plush, stuffed animals, perfect for snugging.
2. Invented by Molly: "Eloise, let's play with our peeps."

Eloise Speak

Eloise often comes out with words that we have to listen to a few times to figure out; her very own interpretation of something she has heard us say. When she says these words they sound quite funny, are always cute and definitely in need of definition. It's Eloise Speak.

Snugging [s'nûg-ing]
vb 
1. To curl up close and hug.
2. A combination of hugging and snuggles: "Eloise is snugging Gaga."

Miss Manners

We started with please and hello, added thank you and good-bye, tossed in excuse me and bless you, and what we have is a not-quite-two year old with lovely little manners. If I do say so myself (and I do).

We introduced basic manners to Eloise when she was first learning to talk and it's clearly paid off. I find that manners also help eliminate Eloise's frustration when she knows that a simple 'please' will garner a much different response then whining and crying.

Eloise is now at a point where descriptive words are entering her vocabulary and amazing, different and awesome are some of her favourites. She loves to count and now that she's conquered one through 10 I often hear her switching up the numbers with words. Sometimes it's "one, two, three, tickles!" or "eight, nine ... chase!" I constantly sing to Eloise and her ability to recall and repeat is really cool; when I sing the ABCs for example, I pause after a few letters and let her fill in the next.

'L' sounds still aren't something that Eloise has been able to manage resulting in a few words that require translation and a few others that come out sounding a little off. For words like lion, laugh and our friends Lanny, Linds, Liam and Lorne she simply drops the 'l' but then there's that tricky word clock ...

One word Eloise just said for the first time that melted my heart was love, with the 'l' and all. We were rocking to sleep and just before she dusted off she kissed the head of Piggy and her new pal, Pengin (he's a Penguin, we're super original) and said, "Luf you Pengin, luf you Piggy. Ah friends." How sweet is that?

Turn It On, Turn It Off

It's astounding how quickly toddlers can turn on and turn off their crying. One moment Eloise will be wailing and the next she's babbling on about something, no tears in sight. I have a friend whose little girl would just sit and scream and when asked, "Are you finished yet?" she would answer immediately and either continue screaming or stop and go onto to something else.

Eloise's on-off cry was in full force today at nap time. She wanted to be rocked, then she didn't. She wanted Chris to lie down with her, then she wanted me. In the end Chris brought Eloise in to me screaming and within seconds she had turned off her crying and began talking to the ceiling happily.

"Hi ce-ying. Ce-ying cute. Is nice. Iam cute, Steve nice, aundie Di nice. Miss Molly. Aun Danelle swim? Mommy snugga."
(Translations: ceiling, Liam, auntie/aunt, snuggle)

Then, silence. Actually, a little snoring, but that was it. And thank goodness, Eloise has been almost impossible to get down for naps since Christmas day when she went on a 4-day nap strike. Today's two hour ordeal was ridiculous, but I have a hope we're getting back on track.

The on-off crying I'm afraid is here to stay.

Chris!

You know how children learn through observation? Well Eloise has taken to yelling out "Chris!" (which comes out as 'Ki-iss!') when she wants him. It's high pitched, a little whiny and said on repeat until he replies. Does this mean I sound like that too?

I can't help but laugh when she does this further perpetuating her beckoning. Poor Chris, he was quite happy being Daddy.