Grandma learns to speak toddler's language

“Nummies!” Jacob demanded.
As it was his birthday, I tried to comply by offering him a frozen waffle, just like the ones he had been eating for breakfast all week. He pushed it away with a firm, “No!” and again demanded nummies.
I put some blueberries on his plate and was met with another “No!”  I found a small chocolate covered donut in the pantry. This time he took a nibble before rejecting it and demanding, “Nummies!” I thought to myself, “if this is what two is going to be like, I’m glad we are only staying for a couple of weeks.”
His sister, Emma, got the syrup off a shelf and I put some on his plate. Aha. That was what “nummies” meant this time. He happily dipped pieces of his waffle in the gooey syrup and ate them. I asked Emma if he usually had syrup with his waffles and she told me that he never had before.
I have spent a glorious two weeks learning toddler-speak. As the above paragraphs illustrate, it isn’t always an easy language to learn. Emma is much more familiar with the language than I, but even she is mystified at times.
While we were visiting we went to a rodeo/carnival with the emphasis on carnival. Two of Emma’s and Jacob’s cousins went along. There were enough rides geared toward the little ones that everybody was happy. Even Jacob got to ride a small roller coaster with his daddy. The grin on his face was as wide as the ocean. Emma and one of her cousins were in a car behind them. Emma had her hands in the air throughout almost the entire ride.
Emma and the cousins went on the giant slide. Halfway down Emma took off her hat and waved it like a cowgirl. I hope the photograph turns out. Jacob was too small to go on that one but I’m sure he would have loved it.
We also toured some of the animal displays. Have you ever heard of sheep wrangling? I hadn’t. Small children are outfitted with safety gear such as a well-padded vest and a helmet. Then they are placed on a sheep. When the gate opens, the sheep take off, with the child glued to its back. It is the most amazing thing I had ever seen — and one of the funniest.
We offered to let the older children try it but none of them wanted to. Maybe next year.
After buying numerous overpriced sugary treats it was time to trudge back to the car. It was a wonderful day.
Most of the rest of the time was spent watching the children jump on the trampoline in the backyard. Emma can do a somersault, as can Jacob with a lot of help. When the cousins were present they played a game called, ‘deadman’. It involved one child lying in the center of the trampoline while the others circled him or her chanting. At the end of the chant the ‘deadman’ would get up, zombie-like, and chase the others. The ‘deadman’ was to do this with eyes closed. It’s a wonder they didn’t fall off but they never did.
They also put on plays. These were the shortest plays on record and were repeated many times with subtle variations. The trampoline was the stage. Of all the toys they had, that trampoline was used the most. They jumped, they chanted, they turned ‘flips’ they hosed it down so it would be more slippery. They got on and off so often I couldn’t keep track of who was where.
In addition to watching the children, we watched two miniature horses. They would be let out during the day where they would graze in the yard. They tended to avoid the children. They also would avoid the dog. When the horses got too rambunctious the dog would chase them. They looked so beautiful galloping though the yard followed by the black standard poodle. Sometimes they would chase the dog, just for a change.
The best part was that it was such a different life than the one I’m used to. Horses and trampolines in the yard? Dogs chasing horses? Children playing deadman? Peace and quiet? It was wonderful. Plus I now know one more definition of “nummies.”[[In-content Ad]]