Mine

We have been teaching Eli how to talk. He has known lots of words for some time but has not quite gotten the grasp of how to communicate other than by pointing and crying. But over the last week he has made leaps and bounds, even coming up with his own descriptions of things. For example we were walking by a white pickup and Eli pointed and said, "Dada truck." I was pretty proud my boy could recognize the difference between Ford and a Chevy. What a smart (or lucky) kid!

Well, his new word is 'Mine'. He has gone around the house and pointed at various objects and appropriately named their owners. He knows my sandals, Bridget's shoes, Carla's flip flops, Emma's socks, and Dora's booties. What a smart kid!

He has also learned that if he wants to ask for something he says, "mine ppp-eassse." And for his effort at trying to communicate he usually gets what he wants, be it ice cream, french fries, toy airplanes, or the golf ball on the green outside our hotel room. If he asks politely, (instead of screaming like my recent entry) he usually gets what he wants. What a smart kid!

Today, he took it to a new level and has started naming items and claiming them as his own. Recent Eli acquisitions: my sandwich, Dora's ball toy, Bridget's chap stick, my Ipod, ER season 1, and almost a beach ball at the gift shop.
Eli wanted a ball and carried it up the stairs of the gift shop.
"Mine ppp-ease?" he asked.
"Not this time Eli, you will have to play with your ball at the hotel," was our answer.
He became more insistant.
"MINE PPP-EASSE," he reiterated more loudly.
"Eli, be good please, you can't have that ball today."
"Wah" (yes), he replied.
Then, in what I thought was victory for our side, Eli smiled like he understood. We went back to shopping, looking at alligator teeth and what-not.
When we got just out of arms reach, he said "wah." Then faster than I could react, he ran over to the balcony and threw the ball over the edge.
My heart stopped as we watched the ball go over the edge. That little TWIT!
It landed on a pile of glass dishes and mugs.
Miraculously, nothing broke.
I looked at Eli. He looked back with grin that said "Mine" That little stink knew just what he was doing! And that he could have cost us a thousand times more than the price of a beach ball!

What a smart Kid!