Proper Terminology

A couple of weeks ago, the kids and I were at Home Depot looking over the supplies we'd need for an upcoming project. As soon as we walked in the door, Everett demanded that we go over and see the tools.


After I explained that there were some things I needed to look at first (like wood), he patiently waited until I was ready. Then we spent a good time inspecting every tool, my limited knowledge impressing his two-year-old mind. At the top of his list was a careful examination of the hammers, so I explained the difference between a hammer and a mallet.


"A hammer," I said, using very scientific terms, "has one pointy side and one flat side. A mallet has two flat sides and can be very heavy. You can use it to knock into things."


Everett nodded solemnly as he took it all in. He brushed a few mallets with his fingertips and then we were on our way.


A few days later, his speech therapist came to visit. When she showed him his picture cue cards (to encourage correct pronounciation of certain words), she got to a picture of a yellow mallet.


"What is this?" She asked, hoping for him to say "hammer" correctly.


"Mallet!" Everett shouted excitedly. She looked at me, confused. I explained that he knows the difference and thought she would move on.


"Everett, can you say 'hammer'?" She pointed to the picture.


"No, Mallet." Everett was insistent, and he turned to me. "Mallet, Mama."


"Yes, very good, Everett. Can you say hammer?" I asked.


"Mallet!"


"Everett, it is a picture of a mallet, you're right. But we just want you to say hammer. Can you do that?" A thought occurs to me; I grin as I say excitedly, "Hey! Can you say "hammer" into. . .my ear?"


His skeptical expression told me I was nuts. He shook his head and pointed insistently at the yellow image. "Mallet, Mama! Mallet!"


We decided we'd wait until next time to coax the word out of him, but he has remembered every week so far. At least that's one word we are confident he knows how to say. Well, minus the "ll" part, but who's counting?


Everett is making a lot of progress; I've said that before. I tend to think this is coincidental to speech therapy rather than because of it (his speech started improving before we started), but we all enjoy the sessions and so I am happy to be continuing with them. However, we only have three sessions left before Everett is ineligible due to his age! When Everett turns three, he will hopefully move to a state-sponsored preschool. We have an evaluation today to determine what sort of class to put him in.

I am hoping that, given the type of increase we've seen in Everett's speech so far, he will be speaking in sentences when we move. He will sometimes, but mostly he confines the sentences he is thinking into two or three word phrases. Example:

Everett points out high school football players on their field.

"Yeah, they are playing football, aren't they?" I comment.

"Me too, football!!!" Everett says, patting his chest to indicate himself, that he wants to play.


I am thrilled to have actual conversations with him. Someday maybe he'll be able to get it all out. Right now, I have to remember to explain things to him the way he thinks, not speaks. It is working. I have this hope that if I fill his head with ideas, he will want to talk about them all the more.

Everett is excited to go play games with a "nice lady" at a real school, and Ashley is (presumably) excited to play at a friend's house. I'm just excited for next Tuesday when we get to have a conference about the evaluation results (he will have no problem qualifying; that much I'm sure of, but I don't know what they will want to do with him).

Excitement. It must explain the kids' hyperactive early rising this morning.