Tag Archives: mama

Back to the future

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Quick update: J’s mom came for a week, to help out while I recovered from my back injury. She leaves tomorrow, and I’m confident I can handle 80 solo. My back feels about how it did before the injury, which is to say still kind of twingy, but I’m going to physical therapy so I can get back to feeling like a 32-year-old, not an 82-year-old.

Up until recently (or maybe secretly still) my mom would do a cartwheel on her birthday, just to prove she could. I don’t think I could do a cartwheel today (and definitely not on my actual birthday), so that’s kind of my goal. Plus I want to find a community cheerleading class.

Kidding.

Ma-ma po-poker face

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I’d read that if you want your child to start saying mama and dada as some of their early words, you need to refer to yourself in the third person (lest they think your name is “I”). Yesterday afternoon, 80 began saying mama like a switch had been flipped. Personally, I think it’s because we were hanging out with Tanya Donnelly, and she inspires awesomeness.

I’ve also read that you child has to say a word three times in a reasonable context (not saying “mama” while pointing at the cat) for it to be a word. 80’s been saying ma-ma more than any other sound in the last 24 hours, and I’m encouraging her of course.

80: “Ma-ma! Ma-ma. Ma-MA.”

Me: “Yes! Yes! Yup, that’s me. That’s right.”

We’ll see if it sticks. Next up: dada. She’s been able to say the “ma” and “da” sounds for a while, so hopefully she picks it up soon.

I mention it in the video, but I swear she said “gesundheit”. Please don’t leave a comment saying it’s unlikely. I realize it’s unlikely, and I also want to mention again that I swear that’s what I heard.

I’m also now singing all the songs I can think of with ma-ma in them. Bohemian Rhapsody (“mama, just killed a man”), Poker Face (ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma ma-ma poker face). Any others I should add to my repertoire?