Language is Nobody's Special Property

"The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself." -Derek Walcott

So I know I just wrote about this in July, but Maeve has a couple more cute ways of using English that I'm totally in love with right now. For one thing, she's begun starting many of her sentences with adverbs. But only two adverbs have made the cut so far: unfortunately, and luckily. And this isn't a mistake on her part, it's just kind of charming to hear a four year old say, "Unfortunately, Daddy, you can't lie on the sidewalk because it's the ocean."

The one she's misusing pretty hard right now is insist. I'm not certain, but it's possible that she thinks it means understand. As in: MOM, I didn't WANT my bread toasted, don't you INSIST???? When I reply, I try to use it the right way: No, Maeve, I don't insist you toast your bread, but you asked me for toast.

Unfortunately, that's all I can remember this morning, don't you insist? I know I do.