The Uses of Mama
My son's first real word was Uh-oh. He picked it up at daycare, along with about sixteen different viruses. He doesn't use it as a wrinkle-browed apology or mea culpa after he has accidentally dropped or destroyed something. He likes to say it before he takes action, holding a book, hapless stuffed animal, or cup full of liquid aloft. Then he lets it go, preferably with a loud clatter. He's so clever. It's incredibly fun to hand him things, say "Uh-oh!" and wait for what my husband calls The Glint of Chaos in his eye. It's a fun family activity, not just because it's bananas, but because we all know what we're saying to each other. I say it's his first real word, because he can not only pronounce it fully, but accurately assign it a specific meaning. He has bent it a little to his own context, but he knows what it's for. He's been a little looser on mama, what I had maybe hoped would be his first words. He's been able to stri...