Just Words

The girls.  There are three of them.  They talk.  Constantly.  Here is just a bit of what we've heard in the last few weeks.

Aliyah say...
The two oldest girls love to "teach" Aliyah to say new words.  It goes like this:
Xandra/Theia:  "Aliyah, say coat."
Aliyah:  "Doat."
Xandra/Theia:  (in a truly excited voice) "Mama, Aliyah can say coat."
Mama:  I heard her.  That's great.
Repeat ad naseum inserting a new word each time.

Working out
As I metnioned before, the girls are well acquainted with my exercise video.  They talk about Jillian, Natalie and Anita (the ladies on the video) as if they're our good friends.  Joe has also begun doing some core strengthening exercises in preparation for his annual triathalon.  While he's working out he references exercises printed on paper he downloaded from the internet.  This has proved puzzling to Xandra.  On a recent morning during his exercise routine, she blurted out,

"Daddy, how come you just have three sheets of paper instead of a workout video?"

Nah or No
Aliyah's word for yes is nah, as in yah, but with an n sound at the beginning.  We were a little concerned that it was taking her so many weeks/months to be able to communicate yes and no.  Then we realized we were the slow ones.  Nah means yah.  No means no. 

Nimple.  Crapper.  Nuffin.  It's not what you think.
Theia:   "Mommy you have a  nimple."   
Mommy:  "What?"
Theia:  "You have a nimple on your cheek."
Mommy:  "Yes, you're right, I do have a dimple on my cheek."

Theia:  "May I have anudder crapper, pwease?"
Momma:  Moments pause.  Thinking.  "Oh, yes, you can have another cracker."

Momma:  "Do you want more?"
Theia:  "Yes, nuffin, pwease."
Momma:  "Do you want more or not?"
Theia:  "Yes, I want anudder nuffin, pwease."
Momma:  "A blueberry muffin?"
Thea:  "Yes, pwease."

Born again.
It's not all silly stuff.  Sometimes they say important things, too.  On January 22, the eve of Theia's birthday, Xandra said to Joe as he was leaving the room.  "I want to be born again."  In Cubbies a few weeks earlier they had been discussing the story of Nicodemus.  Like Nicodemus, Xandra had expressed some confusion in the weeks prior about how a person can be born again.  At times, she even suggested that she go back in mommy's tummy.  On this particular night, however, she was able to grasp the real meaning of being born again.  She and Joe talked and then in the quiet and dark of the girls' bedroom, she took the first step of obedience in a life long journey of pursuing God and prayed to receive Christ into her heart.  Something we hope that will prove to be far more than just words.