It’s hard to want to correct the language of children. Their flubs are fantastic. And if you don’t correct (or if they have a habit of ignoring your correction) their mispronunciations stick around.

Unfortunately, they soon learn the proper usage, and I soon forget the very words I previously understood so fluently. In attempts to preserve this sampling of language fusion, I’ll share here.

A Guide to Lilly Verbiage:

• boose – horse, and sometimes moose. basically anything large and brown and not a bear. (see lion.) origin: oli
• hockey talky – walky talky. if it looks like a puck, talks like a talky – hockey talky. origin: bronson
• lion – a roaring creature, a misdemeanor we’re working on, and a bear (bet you didn’t see the last one coming!) origin: oli and bronson
• lollipop – every third word out of oli’s mouth.
• pancake – every third word out of oli’s mouth. (Yes, that only leaves one for variation.)
• We Will Rock You – our family anthem. origin: started with bronson, anthemed by oli.
• drinky – thirsty, in need of a drink, probably cold, cold water with ice. origin: bronson
• oomme – home, think lotus position origin: oli
• darken – Germanic sound, means dark. origin: oli
• whaaooww – airplane, origin: oli
• whuwhu – anything with lights and sirens, origin: bronson, oli followed suit
• itning ing-ing – Lightning McQueen, sounds Chinese, origin: oli
• pack pack – back pack, origin: bronson
• schhhh – add a throaty sound to it and this is snowboarding, origin: oli
• spwash- splash or crash, origin: oli
• BapBap or Puppy – Papa, maternal grandfather, origin: bronson