Candy-bops and Monkey-boys

Lately I have been especially amused at the words and phrases Sam and Jude say incorrectly. I think it's something all parents feel. I want to teach my children to speak correctly, using correct grammar and tense and pluralization, etc. But it's kind of sad when they actually stop saying words or phrases incorrectly. Sam, for the most part, has stopped although he has a few things he says wrong. Mainly, he cannot seem to figure out when to use "her" and "she". We know he is old enough to use those words correctly and that it would only take a few days of intense reminders, yet we aren't ready so we continue to let him say "her" when it should be "she". It just sounds cute.

Jude, who is 2, has more things he says wrong. But what's funny about Jude is that he actually talks very well for a 2 year old and he really wants to say words exactly right. So, if I correct him, he will study my mouth and my words and will usually repeat it exactly right.

Sometimes after I teach him the correct way to say a word, I will later "confuse" him (not on purpose) by saying the word back to him incorrectly. For instance, he was saying "pi-ree" instead of "pirate." So a few times I told him "it's pirate". Now he will usually repeat it back to me correctly. But the other day I said "hey, I'm a pi-ree" while we were playing and he says, "No mommy, it's pi-rate." O well excuse me.

Which brings me back to the point of this post: Candy-bops and Monkey-boys. These are two phrases that the boys say that I don't correct because, for the time being, I love the wrong way. I know that if I correct them, then it will be over and I'm not ready for it to be over.

Most nights after baths, the boys get this second wind and start acting crazy. I am not sure if it has something to do with being naked (because they do love naked-time) or if it's the realization that bedtime is approaching and they must do all they can to postpone the dreaded inevitable. But whatever the reason, they run to the bedroom at full speed and start doing "candy-bops" and "monkey boys".

Candy-bops are actually cannon-ball jumps off the bottom bunk onto the floor. They jump as hard as they can off the bed holding their legs like they are jumping into a pool and yell "candy-bop!" Then Jude's favorite is to grab the bars on the bottom bunk (the ones holding the top bunk mattress) where he holds on and swings his legs through. He is "playing on the monkey bars", but thinks this trick is called "monkey-boys." I feel like the name is completely appropriate for these 2 so I refuse to correct it. They are my monkey boys.