Rory and Rheo

Hi. This is a picture of my kids with my nieces Rheo (left) and Aurora (right). Aurora is three weeks older than Kira, and Rheo is six. I'm crazy about these girls. They are so great. Rory (Aurora's nickname) spoke really early but she had all these crazy made up words for things. One time she was over at my house when she was about three years old. She could speak perfectly clearly and she came up to me and she told me she wanted some eeps. I didn't know what that was so I had her repeat herself over and over and say it slower in case I just wasn't understanding. Nope, I heard right, it was eeps that she wanted. I learned later that eeps was her word for water. The poor little child was thirsty and wanted water and I didn't give it to her because I didn't know what the hell she was talking about.

The first time she saw a helicopter flying she said, "Hey Dad! That plane is flying with it's antlers!" Another time she told me a long involved story about how they ran over a porcupine with their car and the "porks" popped all four tires. (The whole story was made up, but she is a fantastic liar. She puts lots of details and never cracks a smile when she's telling tales.) One time shortly after that, she and her sister were on a hike with their parents and they came across a bush with lots of thorns. She said, "Rheo, watch out for the porks." Makes sense! Why else would a porcupine be called a porcupine? She calls the cement things in parking lots that mark where you are supposed to stop "cementiums." Also, makes sense. Better than calling them "cement-things-in-parking-lots-that-mark-where-you-are-supposed-to-stop."

Last weekend the girls were visiting us and we were driving somewhere and Rory and Rheo made up a game to play. They had to combine the qualities of two animals that they like to make one animal they really like and make up a new name for them. Rory made up snake-bird type thing and I can't remember what she called it, but I could picture it. It has four wings. (gross) And Rheo made up a "horsegg." She said, "It's an egg and when it cracks a tweensy horse comes out!"