Everett’s ability to speak continues to develop in new and sometimes unexpected ways.  In June we suspected his two year molars were coming in.  We say this partly because he was drooling and sucking on his hands and fingers, and also because he pointed at his mouth and said “I got a new tooth!”.  The latter is a great example of how much easier it has become to figure out what is going on with him.  More language = less guesswork on our part.  And he generally does not say things unless he means it.

If Everett had a native American name it might be “Talks to Ducks” or “Talks to Goats”.  He tries to have conversations with many animals, but especially ducks and goats.  After he fell off a picnic bench at the zoo and bumped his head, he walked over to the Family Farm and asked a goat to kiss it:

We have wondered for some time if and when Everett would start correcting us in way that some children do, such as for incorrectly naming a dinosaur or some other animal.  Well apparently those days have now begun.  When Melissa asked him if the baby ducks were born at the state fair he replied “No, they were hatched.”  And when Chris saw some unusual fish in a pond at the Renaissance Faire and wondered aloud what they were, Everett replied “Um, those are fish Dad”.

He does not like it when either of us is gone, even for very brief periods of time.  One time when Melissa had to step away for a moment recently Everett said:

“Mommy, where are you?”

“I’m in the bathroom.”

“Are you having some privacy?”

“Well, I was.”

Lastly, his ability to speak now enables him to ask borderline existential questions. Today he asked “Is Mommy love?  Daddy, are you love?”.  Clearly the only correct answer to these questions is yes.  We just hadn’t thought about it that way before.