Mew-mik

mew-mik: Nug's pronunciation of the word "music." Almost exclusively used as a command, as in "mew-mik!!!"

Somewhere around age ten, I was kicked out of a children's church choir group (this was shortly after I was nudged out of gymnastics for being chubby, a story for another time). I wasn't asked to leave because of any deviance or misbehavior (Lord knows I can't break a rule). It was my voice. I was under the impression that ten-year-olds can try different activities irregardless of talent, but apparently the choir group wanted to sound good. So the director pulled me aside after practice one evening for a one-on-one at the piano, aka duel to the death. I was to sing the note that she played on the piano. "This is a trick!" I thought to myself, "I'm not a piano!" But she was doing me a favor. My trial was short and her judgement swift. "C," she concluded, "is this really something you want to do?" She was leading me to say no, and I knew how to take direction. Outside of some required crooning much later in my sorority years, it would be my last night of formalized singing. 

Truthfully, I've always been much better suited for non-verbal roles. I play sports, enjoy listening to other people talk, and I keep my singing to a minimum. Even Nug would prefer to sing by herself when faced with a Mommy duet (she has even been known to scream- yes, scream- if I suggest a nighttime lullaby). But we have finally landed on one bedtime song that my voice and her ear can agree on: Old McDonald had a farm. Our version goes something like this:

Me to Nug: "Do you want me to sing Old McDonald?"
"Ya! Umm... bunny poo poo."
"You want bunny poo poo?"
"Ya." Rests her head on my chest.
"Ok. Old McDonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o. And on that farm she had a bunny poo poo, e-i-e-i-o. With a bunny poo poo here and a bunny poo poo there, here a bunny poo poo, there a bunny poo poo, everywhere a bunny poo poo! Old McDonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o."
Giggles gently. "Again!"

(Old McDonald farm is clearly in the middle of potty-training, as here are some other favorite lyrics: house pee pee, big poo poo, rose pee, horse poo, little/big bunny poo poo).

Toddler lyrics are pretty darn cute, and it doesn't stop there. Inspired by this blog, "The Ten Toddler Words I'll Miss the Most," (sham/poo= hair poop, of course!) I've been trying to keep a running list of Nug-isms. Like a friend who recently posted that his preschool daughter no longer says a unique "heartbeep," these moments have to be captured. 

No home: I don't want to go home

Kayeeoo: carry me

Ipsy Bipsy Spider & Crinkle Crinkle Little Stah

Two ba-ba: I'd like to hold at least two pacifiers (two= more)

Snuggle mommy bed: I want to cuddle in bed with you

Stawberry: all berries are called strawberry

Underdog & All done: (underdog is a maneuver on the swing) these two words come out sounding identical, but beware the wrath of getting it wrong! 

Kype on the pewter: Skype on the computer

 I bunk: I bumped myself

F*ck: frog (she has since grown out of this, but man were those funny/tense moments!)

Foothie foothie: smoothie (always said twice!)

Beeto: burrito

Mana: banana

And to close my little Nug dictionary, here's what she said to me the other morning, in words as clear as an Arizona day: 

I do it by myself. I'm a big girl now. I'm not a baby anymore. 

Gasp!