Gregory Simon Allen
Born Friday 11th April 2014
Gregory translator
His life: Birth ♠ Week 1 ♠ Weeks 2-3 ♠ Weeks 4-7 ♠ Weeks 8-13 ♠ Weeks 14-22 ♠ 5-7 months ♠ 7-8 months ♠ 1st Christmas ♠ 8-10 months ♠ 10-12 months ♠ 1st birthday party ♠ 12-15 months ♠ 15-18 months ♠ 18-21 months ♠ 21-24 months ♠ 2nd birthday ♠ 2-2½ years ♠ 2½-3 years ♠ 3rd birthday
Special features: Gregory translator ♠ Gregory phrases ♠ Gregory cookery
As I did for Daisy, when Gregory's grasp of the English language became more sophisticated, the phrases he uttered became more notable, and note them I did. Always good to write them down as committing them to memory relies on the memory far too much.
September 2016
"I love this house, Denby Lane. A good one, Denby Lane." - talking about our house/street interchangeably.
"Daddy not a man, Daddy a grown-up." - in relation to person-shaped Rice Krispie shapes.
"Tower, me hide you count", and later: "me, my tower, best friends" - I think he was talking about a constructed Lego tower.
"That boy he eaten me" - this related to a boy at his playgroup who had bitten him on the arm that week.
"This is nice" he said to me after I had gotten home from work. I asked: "is it good when Daddy's home?" and he replied "I miss you".
October 2016
"Fankoo waiting me" - after I waited for him going up the stairs.
"How are you today?" - asked of me on my return from London.
"I doing disco dancing" - I can only assume he was.
November 2016
"Just one more thing" - he goes all Columbo on me as I bid him good night. Sometimes, he just loves to procrastinate.
"Good teamwork everybody" - whilst playing Mario Kart, although he was on the other team to Daisy and me.
December 2016
"Don't worry Daddy, I'll read it for you, I'm good at that" and....
"We're not counting today" - both while reading books in the morning (Daisy was having a blood test at the time).
"Blow out candles, that's the best day" - setting a low bar for what he wants to do for his birthday.
"Goodnight Daisy, I give you a kiss. You're my best sister, Daisy." - laying on the charm.
"We're not saying 'in a minute', Daddy" - repeated ad nauseum throughout December and January, echoing a Lynne directive. It was not something I appreciated being bounced back at me!
January 2017
"What's in the nappy?" - ("Nothing, well... wee wee") - "Don't say it is nothing that is in there" - Gregory shows a keenness for correctness.
"Hello Daddy, I've got something to show you something" - with a little bear jigsaw piece. This became a bit of a favourite catchphrase of Lynne's for a while, albeit Gregory probably pronouncing it "sumpin" most of the time.
"Can you zoom cars to me?" - something uttered very often during the early part of 2017. One person would roll cars to the other, who would place them in a well-ordered traffic jam.
February 2017
"Will you listen at me!" - shouted many times on the way to and from school, sometimes when he was ill with Scarlet fever.
"Yes, I like good Saturdays but I don't like bad Saturdays" - a very balanced response to my question "Do you like Saturdays?".
"But but but... I have to be a man... and make pizza... for everybody" - in response to it being suggested that it was story time, in a manner that was part obsession with process and part his usual procrastination.
"One uponce a time" - a delightful juxtaposition as he told a story to us.
March 2017
"I not happy that your celebrating's gone Daisy. Now we can't dance now." - in response to Daisy saying that her birthday celebrations are a thing of the past.
"I got a idea. If we turn it off and on, it's working again." - Gregory shows an understanding of how IT generally works when the power went off.
"There's three things: television, clock and music that we can't turn on so we just have to have our milk" - but he's quite pragmatic about not having any power.
"Which one diss says?" - ("Thank you", says Daisy.) - "That's a nice one" - Gregory and Daisy chatting about the chocolate lolly moulds and the phrases you could imprint upon them.
"I love Mummy reading my stories and I love Mummy being the driver" - when I said I was reading Daisy's stories.
"Baha, be-timbers" - Gregory's comedy pirate impression, seemingly confusing "arrrr, me hearties" with "shiver me timbers".
April 2017
"I've got a pet called Forsa" - "Forsa?" - "No, Forsa... no, I mean James." No, I've no idea either.
"I haven't got any more chicken pops" - after a bout of the chicken pox around his 3rd birthday.
"Daddy, I need the potty... go Daddy go... Daddy, I done something on the potty." - this was Gregory's potty sequence at this time, and actually it was pretty much transferred word for word to his toilet sequence later in the year. You have to go with him, then turn the other or exit when he's doing the business, and then you get the big announcement at the end, loudly, even if you are right there.
May 2017
"You are incredible at doing that swimming. You are a star. You are a superstar." - Gregory gushes about Daisy's swimming skills (probably after she came back from a swimming lesson talking negatively about herself), as is his generous way of being.
"I love letters" - "Why do you like letters?" - "'Cos when you open them then they say 'Dear Aunty Katie, I hope you post some letters tomorrow'" says Gregory in a rather confusingly circular discussion.
"Daisy, you look bootiful" - some more compliments for his favourite big sister.
"1, 2, .... 30" - his counting ability at this point.
June 2017
"Don't worry, Daisy, it will be just fine" - generally reflecting Gregory's desire for Daisy not to worry about things so much.
"Where's you bagel gone?" - "In my mouth and all the way to my bottom. It's in my tummy". Gregory goes a little overboard on the anatomical description. I was only asking.
"Mamaa, when are you in charge?" - asked ahead of Lynne and I going to the Brungers' wedding in Manchester (we stayed over and Grandma Avis and Granddad Graham babysat).
And we're largely coming to the point where Gregory was quite fluent and to take down choice phrases would have me basically transcribing his entire output.
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