Valentine's Stash

Yesterday the boys and I went to Hamilton's Valentine's Day party at school. On Monday we'd made his Valentines to hand out to his friends; well, I wrote his name on the easy three-dollar boxed kind, and he affixed a sticker. I think he enjoyed the little bit of "crafting" that we did together because he told me later, "Val-ties be so fun!"

The party was festive, and Hamilton loved the mini cupcakes and cookies served. He especially loved his stash of cards and candy he amassed once we got home to examine his goodie bag and open his cards received in the mail.

He calls it his "Val-tie tuff," since he doesn't pronounce any "s" sound that's paired with another hard consonant at the beginning of syllables. Here are some other examples that I hear almost daily:

• Teem-rowlr - "Look at this 'teem-rowlr'! Dat's a big 'teem-rowlr'!"
• Tahp - "Baby, 'tahp' dat! 'Tahp' dat right now!"
• Tehp - "Dis a big 'tehp,' Mommy. Don't fall down bump your head."
• Pihp-qweek - "I color, Mommy, with my 'pihp-qweek.'" (Crayola's markers)
• Baak-set - "Dis a 'baak-set' bawl."
• Bihk-set - "I want honey on my 'bihk-set.'"
• Shoo-drifer - "I fix dis with my 'shoo-drifer.'"
• Cooss - "'Cooss' me, Mommy." (as he walks by)
• Coot - "'Coot' me, pweez." [closer to the table]