Sunday, January 06, 2008

This Toddler Moment Brought To You By Life In Preschool

When the girls began preschool part-time I wasn't sure what to expect. Runny noses? Check. New friends? Check. Learning to eat playground mulch? Check.

But what really surprised me was the explosion in their vocabulary. Chatting with fellow two-to-three-year-olds must be inspirational.

"No, mine!" quickly became a staple.

"Hey, wait a minute," was added too.

"No, way!" in response to "Would you like more macaroni and cheese?" resulted in a brief lesson on manners.

I was most befuddled though when Baby Z began bursting out with, "Psych!" and then laughing hysterically. She's two. Is my baby really using that irreverent teen slang my friends and I wore out in high school?

"Psych!" she would yell, smiling, and then run off laughing.

I was still trying to decide how I felt about this new addition to her repertoire when I sat down with her one day to put on her shoes. As I reached for her sock, she pointed to it, yelling "Psych!" and laughing hysterically. To her, "Psych!" is clearly that brightly colored, cozy little thing that goes on your foot just before your shoe.

Now when she yells, "Psych!" I just smile and laugh to myself.