More Conversational English

Monday, February the twentieth Clara Grace and her mommy played in the yard. Clara Grace surprised her mommy by pointing toward a mourning dove pecking around the bottom of the giant cedar tree and announcing “bird.”

One afternoon in early February Clara Grace’s mommy asked her daughter if she could kick her pink ball. She was surprised to see the coordinated little girl kick the ball several times all the way across the yard.

Plan B

Clara Grace sat with her mommy and daddy at the dinner table on Saturday, February the eighteenth. She diligently plunged her fork into her bowl of noodles each time she wanted another bite. Nothing ever emerged on the tines so plan B was always a quick dive with her fingers.

Daddy is Part Machine

It became evident that Clara Grace had become accustomed to her Daddy’s routine after half a year through the double load of his master’s program. On the morning of Thursday, February the sixteenth she got a diaper change from Mommy and ran straight to the computer calling, “Daddy, daddy!”

T

Thursday, February the ninth, Clara Grace announced “T” and plucked the corresponding letter from the refrigerator door. Her mommy and daddy were shocked to say the least. She repeated this game several times though and was correct even when her mommy sneakily mixed up the magnetic letters.

No-No, Aunt Amy!

Monday February the sixth, Clara Grace watched in complete shock as her Aunt Amy, who for all practical purposes could be considered a grown-up, spilled her drink all over the restaurant table. The little girl was the first to speak offering a very loud and heartfelt, “Uh-oh!” “Should we say “No, no Amy?” Grandma asked jokingly. “No no,” Clara Grace replied delighted to be on the other end of that phrase.

Kid's Eye View

On Saturday, February the fourth, Clara Grace went to one of her favorite places, the Tennessee Aquarium. So many eventful things happened on this trip that they are worth recording.

1. First of all, a gigantic, six-inch, purple butterfly took a decided liking to the little girl and fluttered inches from her face. Clara Grace, on the other hand, did not return the insect’s friendly attention and batted at it until being rescued by Daddy.
2. Second, Clara Grace who is usually very shy around strangers came completely out of her shell that afternoon. On one occasion, she spotted a group of six adults standing in a circle and deep in conversation. She noticed the single opening left in the group and stepped in, hands folded behind her and face tilted upward to the towering grown-ups as if to say, “Don’t mind me, just carry on with whatever it was you were saying.”
3. At another point, she saw a man standing near a tank of fish, which she could see so much better if she could stand on the ledge in front. Noticing that he was closer than Mommy or Daddy, she decided to try out talking to someone else for a change. “Up, up!” she demanded.
4. Another strange thing that day was how different floor textures seemed to fascinate her. Whenever there was a switch from tile to carpet, or a metal grate, she was obligated to examine it thoroughly. Any of these things took precedence over whatever her mommy or daddy were showing her, whether it was a ten foot shark or a six foot catfish.