We got us some words

I've tried to write about topics other than language development lately, but I can't resist any longer. Here are some of the latest tidbits:

• If one syllable is good, then more syllables must be even better. For please, recently Isaac has said something resembling pleedeedle-deedle instead of just plain plee. I suspect this is the beginning of his learning the classic whine, "Maaaa, pleeeease can I have it?" so we're trying to discourage it.
  

• Me has me first pronoun. When asked, "Who's the baby?" Isaac not only pointed a finger at his own chest as usual, he also answered "Me!" But then when I asked who the mama was, he pointed his finger at me -- and again answered, "Me!" I imagine this will take a while to straighten out.

• Isaac continues his development as a budding California naturalist. In our yard this weekend I found three buckeye nuts that had just begun to sprout, thick white worm-like shoots making their way out of the big shiny brown seeds. Isaac was fascinated by them, and learned the word buckeye just as soon as he heard it. He pronounces it BUCKah. He has had a great time playing with them -- they're slightly larger than his closed fist, so they are a good size for him to throw. Unfortunately he keeps throwing them into the flower beds, so I have to retrieve them or we'll have even more trees sprouting up.

• Opposites are popular around here. You'll hear down follow up, yucky paired with yummy, on linked with off, stop with go, and a very strange conversation where Isaac says to himself, "No. Okay. No. Okay," over and over.

• Have I mentioned that Isaac is really into cooking? He started pretending to cook just before Christmas, and now it is nearly his favorite game -- I think it may even have bypassed vehicle play. Anyway, he is learning all about kitchen utensils, and for sure he says plate, bowl, ladle, spatula, pot, and lid. (Craig, any others I missed?) We went to a big indoor play-place yesterday, full of every kind of toy and activity, and Isaac wanted to spend most of his time in the play kitchen. (He also liked the dollhouse toilets and the miniature school buses.)