Toddler Logic

When there is no more yogurt (because I either took it away or if we're really out) or any other food for that matter, Ivan responds with a concerned "nema" and then tells me "kupit."

"Bus, bus," Ivan yells when he sees a bus on the street. When the bus then takes off disappearing from his view, while we're still waiting at the light, he tells us "nema," meaning there is no more bus. "Kupit," is his answer to bus's disappearance.

"Broken, broken," is one of his favorite words to yell out loud. Most things are broken, according to him, even those that we try to assure him still work fine.

If "fake it, fake it," which stands for "fix it, fix it" won't work--as I often try to explain to him that not all things that get broken can be fix-- "kupit" becomes his answer.

("Yes, it's broken, but who broke it?" I like to ask. "Ee, ee," he responds, proud of himself for having been the one who broke it.)

So what's "kupit"? It's Croatian for "to buy."

In other words, as Ivan has started to acquire language (both Croatian and English) and started to communicate, he's also started to reason things out.

Right now, that coherent view basically consists of him deducing that if something gets taken away, goes away or gets broken, the only answer is that that thing is "kupit" (is bought).

He's also starting to pretend play, which is good. One of the things he likes to do, which I assume is pretend play, is to do something, like throw Medic, whom he calls "menic" down the stairs and then ask in a very, very concerned voice "What happened? Fell down." As in Medic fell down.

We try to explain cause and effect---Medic didn't fall down. Ivan threw him down the stairs and that's what happened. I don't think he gets it. Or maybe just doesn't care to get it.

"Look at this," is another recent favorite phrase of his. He doesn't say it as if "oh mamma, look, isn't this cool?" His intonation is rather one of annoyance and disbelief and is accompanied by him pointing his hand at the offending sight, as if he's looking at someone's mess that he'll need to clean up.

It cracks us up. An annoyed toddler.

He must have learned all these phrases at daycare because I'm not aware that either Andy or myself say "what happened or look at this."

I really need to tape it but, alas, the camera is never ready to capture these fleeting moments.