Fleeting

The Monkey has a pretty large vocabulary. We've always played a lot of word games and he started adding to his repertoire of "great big fancy" words when he was three or four. Now he uses words like "opponent" and "actually" and "prediction" with ease...and he takes the time to learn the meanings of new ones so he can work them in later. I actually forget I'm talking to a five year old sometimes!

...which is why when he gets a word wrong, it's so completely charming and endearing that I almost hate to correct him. I mean, I do correct him because I have to, but I sometimes don't drill it in because it's way too cute.

For example, we've had this little infestation of bagworms (or whatever you call them) lately...so there have been creepy crawlies in the yard and the trees and the deck and the porch and....everywhere. As he walked in the house tonight, one was inching its way across the front doorway...

Monkey: Uh oh, Mom...another callapiddar.
Me: Caterpillar.
Monkey: Right. Callapiddar. That's what I said.
Me: Ah.....ok.

I get stuck between wanting to teach him what he needs to learn and enjoying his littleness. He's not going to be a kid for very much longer and these little kid-moments are worth every blissful, mispronounced moment.