For The Love Of Teaching Kids To Talk

Here's a translated excerpt of a mere 45 seconds of my car ride with Paul this morning:

"Mawma, that was a red light.  You are supposed to stop at red lights.  Red means stop, yellow means slow down, green means go.  That was red.  Blue puffle is hungry right now.  I need to find him some puffle food.  The sun is bright this morning.  Mawma?  The sun is bright this morning.  The sun is bright this morning.  Mawma?  The sun is bright this morning."

Insert my "Yes, Paul, the sun is bright this morning."  Because otherwise, he will repeat that 55 times in the same exact voice.

"Yellow puffle is hungry.  Aren't you, yellow puffle?  Yellow puffle likes to eat puffle food.  I will have to get him some puffle food when we get home.  When we get home, I will find the puffle food.  And I will feed it to yellow puffle.  And I will feed it to blue puffle too.  Hey Mawma, I will feed my puffles their food.  Look at that.  There is a yellow car like Rachel's car.  Rachel's car is green.  I like Rachel's car.  Sometimes I hurt my foot and you have to kiss it.  If blue puffle hurts his butt, you have to kiss it, Mawma.  We only kiss something when it hurts.  If he doesn't hurt his butt, you don't have to kiss it.  I want to watch TUFF Puppy when I get home.  Blue puffle wants to watch TUFF Puppy too.  I think Spencer will be home this afternoon.  I will show him how to feed puffle food to blue puffle.  Mawma?  Will Spencer be home this afternoon?  I think he will be."

Sorry.  That was exactly 68 seconds in Paul-ese.  I just timed it, using my best Paul imitation.  Holy voice box, Batman, that kid talks nonstop.  He's hit that stage where he just jabbers because he can and because I'm pretty sure he likes hearing himself chatter away.  And he waits until his siblings are gone because if his brother is around, his brother interrupts and cuts him off.  Unfortunately, I have to semi-listen to it because if I miss my cue to answer one of his statements, he goes into broken record mode and if I've been tuning him out, it comes to my attention that there is a dull buzzing noise going on.  That's when I realize I've zoned out and I need to semi-pay attention and simply offer him the correct response.  Because God forbid I answer wrong...he ignores that and keeps on with the repeating. 

Talk about stream of consciousness.