Anyone speak toddler? (Parenting/Humor)

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It's fun when your kiddos are small. They have their own vocabulary. The other day my son asked for some shmushmellows. Of course, he meant marshmallows, but I think his name is more appropriate, don't you think?

It reminds me of when my older son was three. He was constantly losing his 'narmals' (marbles). I stepped on them so many times that I nearly lost mine.

Every parent of toddlers has served 'pasketti' or 'basketti' at some point for dinner. And what fall holiday is complete without 'punkins' on the porch?

My sister took her daughter out to eat when she was little. They went to 'Carlos Jr.' otherwise known to the western United States as Carl's Jr., a great place that serves onion rings with barbecue sauce on a cheeseburger.

When my twins were five they pronounced bathroom as 'baffroom'. My Australian husband tried to correct them. He said 'b-ahhhh-throom and they said 'b-ahhhh-ffroom.

Other words I have heard toddlers say are 'gugwee' for ugly, 'packpack' for backpack, 'gubble gum' for bubble gum and 'twinklers' for Twinkies.

One of my twins is nicknamed 'Rat' because her sister couldn't pronounce the name Rachel when she was two.

One very creative toddler of mine decided all drinks are called 'dubway'. We still haven't figured out what she wanted when she asked for 'cimanom' and 'tippeway'. Could it have been cinnamon and Tupperware? We'll never know.

One time I was at the health clinic getting one of my kiddos vaccinated. A very chatty toddler enthusiastically showed me the 'dickers' the nurse had given her for being such a good girl when she got her shot. "Dickers', in case you don't know are what you stick on paper, envelopes or on your shirt. You probably call them stickers.

There are toddlerisms that seem to span every generation. Things like samitches (sandwiches), pease (please), brudda (brother), kissmiss (Christmas), I-team (ice cream) and lello (yellow) are timeless.

And then there are generation specific words like the toddlerisms for technology. I'm sure you have heard of 'cammas', 'pooters' and 'cell pones'.

Then, sooner that we anticipated, off they go to kindergarten. Those amusing toddlerisms all too soon become just a memory...that is until Valentine's Day. Just about everyone I know had two boys in their class named 'Milk" (Mike) and 'Brain' (Brian).

Enjoy it all while you can. The next thing you know they will be speaking a language you've never heard and your vernacular will be sorely outdated. Cool and rad, and boss, and hot aren't 'cool' anymore. And neither are you, Mom and Dad. That is, not until the grandbabies come along and there are toddlers in the family once again.

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©Lisa Barker - Jelly Mom™ is written by Lisa Barker, mother of five and author of "Just Because Your Kids Drive You Insane... Doesn't Mean You Are A Bad Parent!" and is syndicated through Martin-Ola Press/Parent To Parent. To publish Jelly Mom, buy the book or leave comments, please visit http://www.jellymom.com. Sign up for the complimentary Jelly Mom™ weekly newsletter and receive a BONUS GIFT!