Kate’s latest thing is to walk around the house
pointing at things, shouting “WHATSISS”, said really fast and quite high
pitched. Almost like the sound they make
before they do that karate chop movement thing. “WHATSISSS!!”
If you don’t answer immediately you run the
risk of several WHATSISSS’s to follow. The WHATSISSS’s will continue until you
give an answer.
It is amazing how many things do not have easy
answers to. “Um, that’s a spatula type
of thing that some people use to cook with, apparently, mommy isn’t sure”.
Sometimes I have to be the Karate sensei and do
the “WHATSISSS!!” and she gets to answer. She is a lot better than I am, she never hesitates. We play this game sitting on a quilt my mom
made for the babes, full of fabric squares emblazoned with different pictures.
Me: “WHATSISSS!!” (it is important that I follow Kate's exact tone and inflection when asking the question. An insipid "what is this" will not do)
Kate: Apple!
(answer always shouted, as if she is playing against time for a grand prize, competing against 3 other
contestants)
“WHATSISSS!!”
Teddy!
“WHATSISSS!!”
Car!
“WHATSISSS!!”
Kitty!
“WHATSISSS!!”
Gogga! (SA slang for insect)
“WHATSISSS!!”
Frog!
“WHATSISSS!!”
A gluten-free, dairy-free, low GI food
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Ok, that last one was a lie. Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
She really is very good at this game, although
to be fair, she never gets things like spatulas.
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Oh this stage is sooo fun! :) You know this whole time I was thinking your kids were older than Ava when really they're younger. She's Almost 23 mos.
Anyway I loved this stage and she still does it alot though the novelty has worn down thank god. A few thousand WHASSITT!!!? do tend to wear on your nerves eventually. Next will come "Where insert item/person here AT???"
Posted by: Cristy | 15 July 2006 at 09:44 PM
This is one of my most FAVORITE ages! We play wayeesees around here (Where is it?). The hard part is when the 21 month old hides the remote and then can't remember where it is.
Posted by: Judy | 15 July 2006 at 11:12 PM
I know what you mean about the tone and inflection having to be just right! My son's current favorite self-invented game is, in English, "Where Did Your Toes Go?" -- or in toddlerspeak, "GO?!" in a very high amazed wondering squeal. He sticks his feet under something -- a sofa cushion, my leg as we sit on the floor, the air -- and demands "GO?!" I am required to inquire animatedly, "Where did your TOES go?!?!" in falsetto - woe is me if I get it wrong! Then he will either wave his feet in the air, or occasionally look at me as if I am mad and say, "Ri-deah" (right there). How do they come up with this stuff?
Posted by: goodsandwich | 16 July 2006 at 06:03 AM
Oh yes! We are also in this stage. He is a couple of weeks younger than Kate and Adam. I too was wondering about all the possible answers.
Toddler pointing to wooden kitchen drawer: Is it a drawer or brown or cabinet or wood?
Toddler pointing to sandals: Are they sandals or shoes?
Toddler pointing at big yellow belly of stuffed Tigger: Is it Tigger or belly or yellow?
Toddler pointing to cat: Is she white or cat or soft or fury?
He is just starting to tone down from wanting to know the color of everything. He will pick something up and I will say green, he will put it down and pick up something that is a different color and so on until we go through all the colors once and then we repeat. . .The shades of colors poses challenges also.
They really are so much smarter than we realize. It is like a new light bulb turning on every other minute.
When you get a chance update us on the pros and cons of some of the activities that are keeping Kate and Adam busy during winter so far. If you have any suggestions please forward them.
Posted by: Sharon | 16 July 2006 at 07:07 AM
My last at that age would point and grunt. And grunt. and grunt until she got an answer. She was a late talker, as younger sibs tend to be, and the grunting thing got very old, very quickly.
Posted by: onetallmomma | 16 July 2006 at 03:53 PM
That's pretty funny, since Anna's current one is "WHATSSAT?!" They would be quite the pair.
Posted by: Ellen | 16 July 2006 at 04:14 PM
onetallmomma, my lonely-only did the very same thing.
"Unh?" "Juice." "Unh?" "Juice." "Unh?" "Juice."
One day she followed that with "Dooce?" Active vocab grew by leaps and bounds after that, but she was two before she had as many words as Kate does.
Posted by: Laura(southernxyl) | 16 July 2006 at 08:09 PM
Love it! Very cute.
Posted by: Rachel H. | 16 July 2006 at 09:07 PM