Jeffrey Talks

Jeffrey spoke a few words around age 2 and then not much more until age 4 when things started picking up.  I remember when he was 3 and 4, my friends with kids his age would post messages of cute things their kids had said to them.  It would break my heart every time I read them because it became overtly obvious to me how far behind Jeffrey was.  These kids were saying more and more complicated things and Jeffrey was still the same.  These kids were also saying funny and endearing things.  I wanted to know Jeffrey better, to hear what he had to say, to understand how he thought.  Jeffrey is talking lots now, although there are definitely still some language delays:  problems in grammar, telling a story in order, expressing complicated ideas, etc.  I must remember rather than getting discouraged by what he's not able to do yet, to appreciate what he is able to do, and to remember how far he's come.  These days, Jeffrey says funny and endearing stuff all the time!  Here are some recent ones:

• Jeffrey wanted to watch a show on Netflix, and instead of his normal cartoons popping up,  "Hoarders" was on the screen b/c I had been watching an episode.

           Jeffrey asked in an accusatory voice, "Mommy, why were you watching that garbage show     again?!"

• (As we were riding down the road) 

          Jeffrey: I see an American Flag!  And a Beagle Flag!
          Me: a beagle flag?
          Jeffrey:  yes! a beagle flag!
          Me: what's a beagle flag?
          Jeffrey: You know!  The bird!

• Jeffrey brought home a card from Church with the word "worship" on it and different ways that we can worship.  I was trying to talk to him about it and explain it to him and Jeffrey said, "I already know mom!  A worship is what the aliens come in on!" 

• Jeffrey, after flipping through an American Girl Catalog, "I don't like all those cute girls." (I was wondering if he was talking about the dolls or the child models?)

• Jeffrey must have had a particularly interesting primary lesson because after Church on Sunday he kept asking me about Death, Resurrection, and the Spirit World.  He asked me about the Holy Ghost and where he was.  I said he is all around us, we just can't see him.   Jeffrey said, "Oh, so he's in invisible mode."

• Jeffrey brought me a Deseret book magazine and pointed to a picture of Elder Eyring:  "Is this President Monson or President Thimble?" he asked.

• Jeffrey (to Charlotte):  Baby, you're stinky!

          Me: That's not nice to say Jeffrey.
          I walk out of the room and hear Jeffrey saying in a nice voice, "Charlotte, you're so strong. You're so handsome."