5th Metacarpal

 

Dex broke his hand back on memorial day - he fell down in the park at Iain's Birthday party. Anyway, as the cast is coming off tomorrow, it's high time we post a pic of one of the three (really!) casts he's had. (the other two got wet).

It's a Boy's Life

 

The Subjunctive!

This morning, as we were playing with our very cool new 'aqualand' toy, Declan declared "If I were a duck, I could swim in this." The correct use of the subjunctive form of the verb ('were' instead of 'was' for antecedent conditions known to be false - what we in philosophy call 'counterfactuals') means that his grasp of English grammar surpasses most of my undergraduate students!

A linguist in the making...

You all know that Dex has a great linguistic ability, but now he's proving Chomsky right (at least the U-shaped curve bit about language development). This evening at dinner, while I was reading "Bus Route to Boston," Declan corrected (he's taken to correcting me when I misread one of his favorite stories) 'cannoli' to 'cannolis' in the sentence "then, of course, we ordered four cannoli." Try explaining the fact that when English speakers adopt words from a different language, we maintain the original plural conjugation to a three-year old!
He did correctly note shortly thereafter that Moma Olga "did have something different like Spanish or something." (she, in fact, speaks Russian)

Spring Break - Chicoteague

 

Feeder ponies! (as opposed to 'wild ponies').

 

On top of the lighthouse (whose 198 steps Declan climbed by himself!)

 

With Grandma on the Beach

 

With Daddy on the boardwalk...

Katie!

 Declan and Katie playing with the parking ramp on her last visit.

Declan Dictionary

Declan has recently demonstrated an remarkable talent for lexicography. Here is a recent sampling of his repertoire:

Proveit (n) [3 syllables: Prove-e-it] a troveit that does move. (and it stops when it sees this (i.e. the printer)).
Troveit (n) [three syllabus: Trove-e-it] a thing that stops and chews over here (by the door).
Scoat (n) Something that goes up in the air.
Lifescoat (n) A balloon that goes up in the air and winches things up.
Stiped (adj) Something 'boyish' (maybe, as it was most recently used to refer to juice!)
Peeger (proper name) a little otter (See 'Peeker')
Peeker (proper name) a little otter who, with his brother Peeger, lives on whoogala (Who-Ga-La) street, which is in the wall behind our bed frame, and they often need rescuing with the winch, because they get stuck up a tree, which is also behind our bed.
Heeger (proper name) daddy otter of Peeger and Peeker
Beaver (proper name) mommy otter of Peeger and Peeker.

Now that's some good-looking footware!

No kidding!