Summer Calebisms

Caleb's language has absolutely exploded this summer.  He talks NONSTOP and sometimes sounds so grown-up that I wonder where my little boy has gone.  But, then he gives me these little gems:

• The boys will be the winners and the girls will be the losters.
• Okay, guys, here's the deal and the problem.  (Everything these days starts with either "okay guys" or "hey guys" - or the old standbys - "hey, Mama" and "hey, Daddy.")
• (When asked how to get to the dinosaur bone field that he made up and wanted to go visit)  Well, you go left and right and left and straight through the curve and uptown and downtown and left and right and there it is.
• Dear God, thank you for our house.  Thank you for our food.  Thank you for our family and our friends. Thank you for Mama and Daddy and Nola and Caleb.  Amen.  (This was his first big boy prayer - last night - and it made me cry.)
• How old are you?  Were you around with the dinosaurs?
• What the judge?  (This is an expression of shock, sort of like "what the heck", but we have NO idea what it means or where it came from.  We are discouraging its use, but still find it oddly intriguing.)

While we were in Hot Springs last week, he decided that he wanted a second bedtime snack.  (He had already had his favorite snack - a hot dog bun.)  He got out of bed with Pops and came to find me:
C:  Mama, what are some good foods?
Me:  You mean healthy foods?
C:  Yes.
Me:  Well, fruits and vegetables and maybe some cheese.
C:  Hmm...can I have some of those?
Me:  No, it's too late for a snack.  Go on to bed.
He left and returned a few minutes later, dragging Pops by the hand. 
C:  Tell 'em, Pops.
Pops:  He wants a snack.
Apparently, Caleb had gone back to the bedroom and told Pops that since he's "the king," that meant he was the boss of "the princesses" and he needed to go help Caleb get the snack that he so desperately wanted.  I gave in.  I had to give him some credit for creativity.

Caleb has also devised a whole scenario about his stuffed animals.  Some of them are boys and some are girls and you'd better not call them by the wrong gender.  He knows which ones are the parents and which ones are the kids and he plays with them, continuing the scenario, often.  The major players are Pup-Pup, Giraffey, Birdy, Horsie & Bolt.  Bolt spends a lot of time in time-out.  There's always some reason for it.

I love to listen to him playing when he doesn't know I'm listening.  He makes up these crazy interactions between his toys and uses a really high-pitched voice to speak for them.  They usually say things like, "I'm gonna get you!" and "Oh, no - not that way!"  For some reason, many of them are often in peril, but someone always saves the day.

Man, I love that kid.