I now pronounce you ...

No, this is not about weddings. It's about the way we talk round here.

* * *

Cherub is all about Do I? and Are you? and Is it? Which sounds alright, until you tag it on the end of things as he does. He's not really asking, if you know what I mean. He doesn't say it with a rising inflection. It's more like a little confirmation at the end of his statements.

I like Maisie, do I.

This is MY toothbrush, is it.

You're staying tonight, are you.

This last gets asked, anxiously, at least 20 times a week. I go out and teach on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I've done this for as long as they can remember and they're good, they don't fuss or cling. And of course Fixit takes perfectly good care of them. Yet Cherub has learned the days of the week based on which nights I'm at home to put him to bed. It's a little bit touching and a big bit guilt-making. What day is it today? he'll ask, and if it's a stay-at-home night he says Yay. If it's a tap night he is sad, and he tells me: Me and Climber hate it when you go, do we. Do we, Climber? And Climber says Yes.

* * *

Climber remarked to me yesterday that Next-door-boy has trouble pronouncing his "j" sound. I asked for a demonstration. Apparently it sounds like zholly not jolly. Climber tells me this as a matter of observation, he is not judgemental. And he says to me reassuringly But that's alright. He's from Albury*.

* * *

My name is slightly difficult for a child to say. I made a list of all the different ways I've heard it said over the years. (I had to edit this to include 2 more*, which both Astrid and Nell reminded me about)

• Cawoline or Tawoline Most 4 and 5 year olds
• Calorine My cousin Anna, years ago
• Talorine Next-door-girl, last week
• Tannine Climber, aged about 2*
• Harline Cherub, aged about 2, going through an Hispanic stage*
  
• Taline Cherub, aged about 3
• Caline Climber & Cherub, aged 3
• Laline Me, aged little. Some of my aunts still like to call me this.

* Albury is a large country town on the Victorian and New South Welsh border. They don't really have an accent. Although when I was telling Crafty about Climber's comment she remarked that you could say Albury-ans have a bogan accent, and suggested that Cherub should be sent up there to sort them out. I should also mention that Next-door-boy is missing his 2 front teeth at this stage of his life and it's never easy to talk perfectly without them.