You must listen very carefully if you want to understand my twins. What might sound like the nonsensical word "uppy" to the average person means "apple juice" or "pick me up" to the discerning listener. The definition depends on subtle differences in pronunciation.
Take the word, "uh-oh." When you hear the emphasis on the first syllable (UH-oh), you better run to the girls quickly because you don't know if they've managed to open their sippy cups and pour uppy all over the floor, scribbled across the freshly-painted nursery wall, or taken off their clothes, removed their diapers, and pooped in their cribs.
Then there's "uh-oh" with the emphasis placed on the second syllable (uh-OH). This means they are innocent bystanders who have come across something particularly ugly or disturbing. Say they find a puddle of cat vomit on the living room carpet or notice an angry red cut on their grandma's finger. Or see the birthday present recently given to their father:
Now, tell me. Don't you think this object lying in the middle of the floor deserves a big "uh-OH"? The twins thought so and were shrieking it at the top of their lungs.
I couldn't agree more, babies. I couldn't agree more.
Dinner last night: salmon steaks with dill sauce, twice-baked potatoes
