Toddler's say the darnedest things

My little boy, Augustus, is 2 years old.  He has always been a communicator, giving speeches and soliloquies that no one can understand.  But now, much of what you he says is becoming discernible, and it is a treat to watch his progression.  Or is it hear his progression, nonetheless, I've really enjoy it.

Augustus is a very polite child.  One day at Target, we were going through the checkout line.  The woman checking us out gave me no eye contact, was not thrilled to be working on this day, and was only going through the motions.  At the end of the transaction, she said, "Thank you," with little enthusiasm.  I responded with "Thank you."  Then you heard the soft, innocent voice of my son, "Tank yooouuuu!"  Everyone in line was charmed, and the most charmed person was the cashier.  She lit up.  She said, "Oh my, would you like a sticker."  She gave my boy a sticker, and he said, "Tank yoooouuuu!"  And then for good measure, "Tank yooouuuu," on the way out.  It was one of those great moments that make being a parent worth it.  Since then "thank you" is common to hear whenever someone gives him something.  I have no idea how he acquired the understanding of when to use the phrase, but I'll take credit.

His mother recently taught him to say, "Excuse me."  Actually it comes out "Stuze me."  He has picked up that when you burp, you say the phrase.  But now he is going around grunting (trying to formulate a burp), and then he says, "Stuze me."  He does this over and over again.  Grunt, "stuze me," grunt, "stuze me," grunt, "stuze me."  And if you burp, he also like to say, "Stuze me."  So this is commonplace as well.  For this my wife can take credit.

As many women know if married or just around men, the more masculine sex likes to quote lines from the movies they love.  I love the movie Lonesome Dove so you might hear me say, "It ain't dying I'm talkin' about, its livin'."  My friend, Clint, loves movies like Kingpin, so you might hear out of his mouth, "The name's not boy. It's Roy."  Another friend, Kyle, loves The Outlaw Josey Wales, and he might say, "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie."  It is just something that guys do, and you guys know what I'm talking about.

Well Augustus has already started the process.  Right now he is watching Cars, and I heard him recite back something from the movie, "Mac....Mac....where are you Mac." He said it as clear as day, and this is happening a lot. He even imitated one of Lighting McQueen's sayings, "Ka-chow!" He has started to sing as well.  Whenever he watches Bolt, he sings the song that has a verse, "There is no home like the one you've got, cuz that home belongs to you."  He sings this verse, not perfectly, but he sings it.  He kind of rolls through it like someone singing a song that does not know the words, articulating some words and making sounds that might sound like a word that would work. So it comes out like, "ahhh oome like one ohh got, cuz one ongss to yoooouuuuu."  It is awesome, and he leans down, bowing his head when he sings, "yooouuuuu."  Then he claps for himself.  Brilliant.