Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness

The kids have been into big words lately. It started, oddly enough, with an argument between them over panties versus underwear. Somehow that evolved to all clothing having been called garments at one time and that the stuff underneath was simply your under-garments. From garments, we got to spectacles. That one developed during a discussion after a water balloon fight when B said my eye glasses had gotten wet; the boys disagreed and told her they were simply glasses. So I explained that rather than having to specify with drinking glasses or eye glasses, there was a specific word: spectacles. Epidermis led to the “I’ve got epidermis; you’ve got epidermis” song. It’s one of C’s current favorite to chant while running around the house. Saying I was going to walk the dog in the evening led to doggy hysterics, so we began saying perambulate. (And of course, that led to an explanation of the fact that, while we call them strollers – from stroll… to walk slowly – the British call them prams – from perambulator, which is from perambulate…to walk.) Grandma’s last visit added a few new ones as well: urinate and defecate. I’m guessing someone said they had to pee and she knew we were on the big word kick. And of course… that led to lavatory. Because as long as you are going for it, you might as well follow through.

They’ve been having fun with big words. It’s rather like speaking in code; many people don’t know what you mean. Big words are like a magical language. I hope they keep this attitude as they get older. For now it is fun to see people’s faces as you walk though the Costco parking lot and your 6 yo is singing and giggling, “I’ve got garments covering my epidermis as I perambulate.” Or the look on people’s faces as you leave the outdoor ballet and ask your 4 yo, who is zooming backward, “May I enquire as to why you feel your perambulation necessitates such velocity?” And she pauses, looks at you and says, “Just felt like it.”