Tater-isms and Tater Says

It's quiet at Gran's house today. Mama and Dada Tater and Tater Tot are out and about, and the two youngest children are at school. I thought this would be a good time to tell you about Tater-isms. Toddlers have their own language and have unique ways of expressing their thoughts. Tater is no exception to that rule. Her mom has always had her own unique (weird) way of expressing herself and I called them 'isms.' ('Leafs' is just one of Mama Tater's silly 'isms.') Here are some of Tater's 'isms.' And this list of Tater-isms is growing by the minute, so I know I won't remember a lot of them.

 
Tater-isms: 

• "Wub ewe" - Love you
• "I dough no." - I don't know. (Complete with a shoulder shrug)
• "Dank ewe" - Thank you. (She says "Thank you" every time you give her something. So polite!)
• "Peas" - Please (We still have to prompt her to say please, but she's catching on.)
• "Sowwy" - Sorry
• "Wy-wy" - Rylie
• "Cay-wub" - Caleb
• "Quin" - Clint
• "Pa-pa" - Pappy
• "Dan" - Gran
• "Giggies" - Piggies, for toes (and she knows where her toes are)
• "Mer-may" - Mermaid, because she likes the mermaid picture on Gran's wall
• "Dan-ta" - Santa
• "May Tis-mus" - Merry Christmas
• "Tik-tee" - Trick or Treat
• "Dat!" - That (when pointing something out to someone)
• "Tee" - Tree
• "Dink" - Drink
• "Ow-side" - Outside
• "Ny-ny" - Night-night
• "Wok-by" - Rock-a-bye (As in Rock-a-bye, baby)
• "Woop-woop" - Her imitation of sirens after the Christmas parade
• "Pity" - Pretty
• "Wook!" - Look! (This is said with much excitement and pointing.)
• "Hattie bird-hey!" - Happy birthday! (This was learned on Dada Tater's birthday.)
• "Good grrr" - Good girl (Because Gran and Mama Tater always tell her she's a good girl)
• "Pow!" - Pouch! (Because we're reading the cutest book - Pouch!)
• "Ha-ha-ha!" - This involves throwing her head back and pausing between each 'ha' because it's a maniacal laugh. (Yep. Gran did it. Mama Tater probably questions Gran's influence at times.)
• "Nuh-na, Nuh-na" - This is from a Muppets skit, Mahna-mahna. You know it, I'm sure.
• "Ooh-we-ooh" - The Witch Doctor, another Muppets song
• "Dah-toons" - Cartoons
• "Ave-wee" - Avery (That's Tater!)

Tater does say lots of things clearly. So...


Tater Says:

She loves to ask, "What's that?" She also loves to ask, "Who's that?"

When Tater is surprised, spooked or scared, she purses her lips and says, "Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!"

"Mine!" - This is the first bad word she learned, and she learned it from Gran. She would pick up something she didn't need to have, and I would take it and pat my chest while telling her, "Mine." She picked it up, and now everything apparently belongs to Tater. Somehow everyone else has unknowingly forfeited ownership of all their worldly possessions.

"Stop!" - She says it loud and clear. This is what she says to the dog when she won't stop barking.


Tater also says:

• Mama
• Dada
• Nana
• PopPop
• Baby
• Bye
• Hi
• Dog (She'll bark if you ask her what the dogs says.)
• Cat (She'll meow if you ask her what the cat says.)
• Duck (complete with quacks)
• Chicken (followed by 'bock, bock, bock')
• Cow (She'll moo if you ask her what the cow says.)
• Bear (She will raise her hands and growl if you tell her, "Little bear!")
• Ear, nose, eyes, hair, toes (and she knows where they all are)
• No! (Pretty self-explanatory, and one of the worst words for a toddler to learn)
• Owww! (Sometimes her 'ouchies' are real, and sometimes they're not.)
• Ta-da! (Like a magician)
• Shoes
• Bite
• Bad
• Ride

This is not an 'ism' or even a word, really, but it is absolutely adorable. Tater moves both arms back and forth while saying "chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga," and then she pumps one little fist in the air while saying, "choo, choo" to imitate a train. This is because we read The Little Engine that Could. I have to video this so I can show you. It is too cute for words. 

Wisdom from Gran: Read to your kids, especially when they are really little. Read, read, and read some more. It's important.

I know I am leaving out tons of things she says. Tons. She says new things all the time, so it's hard to remember it all. 

Oh, and just in case you haven't seen it (and for those who've had it stuck in their heads before): 

Best Wishes, Gran