Clementine continues to impress and terrify us. This week, it’s with discussions of “gardenias” and “orangutans”… I’ve yet to verify this with my mom and dad, but, while I’m pretty sure I’d come to understand that there were such things as monkeys and flowers by the time I’d turned two, I’m almost positive that’s where my understanding stopped. I may have been able to jump and made “monkey sounds,” but I sure as hell wasn’t able to differentiate between different primate species… Clementine is freaking me out. She was asking for nuts a few weeks ago and I handed her some. She tossed one into her mouth, looked up at me happily and said, “Mmmm… Cashew.” Who the fuck knows what a cashew is before they turn two? Is that kind of thing normal? I’ve got to get some of this on video. (Here’s a photo of Clementine and Linette at the museum yesterday.)
update: The possibility that she could develop into a little Harlan Pepper hadn’t even occurred to me! Here’s a comment from the Anonymatt:
Clementine’s starting to remind my of Christopher Guest’s character in “Best in Show”:
Harlan Pepper: I used to be able to name every nut that there was. And it used to drive my mother crazy, because she used to say, “Harlan Pepper, if you don’t stop naming nuts,” and the joke was that we lived in Pine Nut, and I think that’s what put it in my mind at that point. So she would hear me in the other room, and she’d just start yelling. I’d say, “Peanut. Hazelnut. Cashew nut. Macadamia nut.” That was the one that would send her into going crazy. She’d say, “Would you stop naming nuts!” And Hubert used to be able to make the sound, he couldn’t talk, but he’d go “rrrawr rrawr” and that sounded like Macadamia nut. Pine nut, which is a nut, but it’s also the name of a town. Pistachio nut. Red pistachio nut. Natural, all natural white pistachio nut.
11 Comments
Kids are a never ending source of amazement. When exposed to interesting stuff, they are like sponges. Given the opportunity and encouragement they can learn a remarkable amount. People vastly underestimate young childrens capabilities. I sense a future orator in your house Mark.
I miss Clementine, her deep little voice & silly self!
Sam used delicate and especially in a sentence recently and the other night on the verge of sleep wanted a definition of distinguished. I expect Clementine will have quite the vocabulary in her 3rd year. Us parents must be doing something right or the city water is overflowing with nutrients.
I am somewhat guilty in Clementine’s nut fancy. She and I shared a bag of imported Iranian pistacios at the shadow art fair.
She’s no good at cracking them open but you probably already know that.
Oh, and when she says “cashew”, you’re supposed to reply “Ca-shew? I don’t even know you!”
Of course this works with “tissue” but who says “tissue” anymore?
First I should say that Clementine does sound quite precocious. But I haven’t complained about Mark around here in a while.
I don’t like the writing in this section:
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Clementine is freaking me out. She was asking for nuts a few weeks ago and I handed her some. She tossed one into her mouth, looked up at me happily and said,
Every blogger should be blessed with an Anonymatt.
As for this serious discrepancy, I have no excuse. I misspoke. I said “a few weeks ago” instead of “about a month and a half ago.” I’m sorry is anyone other that Anonymatt was driven into a state of confusion and despair over this.
The truth is, I don
(note: When the cswilba says “Sam,” she means here son, whose name is Sam, not the Sam that left the comment right before hers. I just figured that out.)
Ha ha. This post made me laugh out loud – “Who the fuck knows what a cashew is before they turn two?” :) she does sound very smart for her age…
She identified a Macadamia nut this morning. I want to post something about it, but I haven’t had a chance to get a sworn affidavit yet.
I should point out that I’m glad to see Clementine and Linette were out enjoying themselves after being sick the previous week.
Clementine’s starting to remind my of Christopher Guest’s character in Best in Show:
Harlan Pepper: I used to be able to name every nut that there was. And it used to drive my mother crazy, because she used to say, “Harlan Pepper, if you don’t stop naming nuts,” and the joke was that we lived in Pine Nut, and I think that’s what put it in my mind at that point. So she would hear me in the other room, and she’d just start yelling. I’d say, “Peanut. Hazelnut. Cashew nut. Macadamia nut.” That was the one that would send her into going crazy. She’d say, “Would you stop naming nuts!” And Hubert used to be able to make the sound, he couldn’t talk, but he’d go “rrrawr rrawr” and that sounded like Macadamia nut. Pine nut, which is a nut, but it’s also the name of a town. Pistachio nut. Red pistachio nut. Natural, all natural white pistachio nut.
Brilliant comment, Matt.