Language barriers, Grinding away, finally green

There are several talking toys in our home. These toys tell the colors, shapes, names of animals, etc. They can be set for Spanish or English. It is often fun to swap languages to throw Mama off guard. My daughter has some of the same toys in her home. Her daughter prefers for the toys to speak Spanish.

Cori was trying the other day to get a video of Mykenzie repeating the Spanish words as the toy was speaking them to her. Although the toys are difficult to understand, Mykenzie’s rendition of the words was impossible to make sense of. I am sure she has an idea what they are supposed to mean and she really thinks she is speaking Spanish when the gibberish comes out of her mouth. It is both a delight and frustration to her mother, who does not speak Spanish.

At lunch a day or so ago Mykenzie was speaking to her mother in her own version of the Spanish language, Frustrated, her mother scolded, “Mykenzie, quit talking baby talk.” “I’m not talking like a baby,” she replied, “I’m taking to you in Spanish.” “Mommy does not understand Spanish.” “Oh, I asked if you would make me a sandwich.”, she translated for her mommy. I’m thinking her mommy needs to take some Spanish lessons.

Grant, on the other hand, is fully engaged in putting English to good use. He is adopting new words to his vocabulary every day. One recently adopted from an Easter Cantata that his mommy and daddy are practicing for is, hallelujah. Cori did not tell me that anyone explained the use of the word to him so he seems to have grasped that all by himself. After dinner one evening his daddy said, “Grant do you want some ice cream?” His response; “Ice cream, Daddy, hallelujah!”

After the days of looking at properties over the last weekend, it is anticlimactic to settle into a daily routine. I have not spoken to Grandma and Grandpa but I imagine it is more so for them. Mama takes the boys she is sitting over at least once a week, but Grandma’s house is not nearly as fun as Mama’s, so the visits are abbreviated. It is enough for Grandma to be able to participate.

Grandpa has the garage and he tinkers in there through the days. We have gotten him some plants that he tries to safeguard from the pup that has a desperate affinity for any dirt in a pot. The plant in that dirt is usually a casualty of her interest.

We thought she was gone yesterday. When Grandma went out to feed her, Bella was nowhere to be found. The back yard was empty. Victoria was very upset. Turned out, several hours later, when Grandpa went out the front door that Bella was waiting to be let back into the back yard. What a relief!?

For the second day in a row we have been blessed here with a heavy fog which settles on everything like a light rain. Everything is wet, but not deeply soaked. The temperature is in the mid-thirties so it is cold and damp; a poor combination for those struggling with the allergies that flare up this time of the year. All three of the little boys reflect the weather with runny noses and mild coughs. By afternoon, when naps are over and the sun is out, everybody feels better.

Things are turning green here, especially where grass fires earlier this year denuded the hillsides. The fires burned thousands of acres near Borger, taking all vegetation with them. The stumps of small palms and charred ground blackened the landscape as far as the eye could see in many places. Now there are fresh shoots of green grass coming up through the blackened ground.

It really is quite a sight.