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Is it wrong that I don’t want my daughter to speak correctly? Going on 4, Abby still struggles with basic grammar and pronunciation. Her pronouns, tenses, and blended consonants get all jumbled together, so anyone outside our family may need a translator to interpret what she’s saying. The sad part is, I find myself loving every last garbled word. Here are a few examples that make me want to grab a spoon and eat that sweet girl right up:

Me: “You’ve had too much candy today. It’s time for a healthy snack.”
Abby: “Okay, but only if that be’s grapes.”

Me: “It’s time to brush your teeth.”
Abby: “Mommy, I want you to brush my own teeth.”

Me: “Grandma will be here in a little while.”
Abby: “I want she to come now!”

Abby: “Mommy, get Claire away from me! I don’t like the smell she’s making.”

Me: “Wash your hands if you want to help with these cookies.”
Abby: “I just washed ‘em, Mommy. Look, my clands are all hean!”

Abby: “I almost felled, but I catched myself.”

Best of all is when she’s trying desperately to think of the right word, starting and stopping and starting again, her little brow furrowed with the effort, until she finally gets frustrated and stomps her foot and yells, “I don’t know what I’m saying!”

That’s my cue to tell Abs we don’t have to talk at all — sometimes hugs are easier.