"Uh-uh!"

Around 7 this morning, TB and I were sitting in the living room watching the news and drinking our coffee. There was a slight cough from upstairs--Tomas is awake.

Then very clearly from above: "Uh-UH!"

I'm not sure what he meant by that: darnit, mommy's gone to work; rats, it's Monday; I'm still sleepy and don't want to be awake; the sun is in my eyes; the cat jumped on my bed; etc etc

"Uh-uh!" is also Tomas's way of saying no way am I going to do fill in the blank. We've been working on him to say "no" but until then what we get is the hand accompanied by a very strong "uh-uh!" Sometimes he will shake his head 'no' as well. This response isn't all that different from any other little kid who's told to do something and says "NO!"

Billy was upstairs and about to come down so we called up to him, asked him to knock at T's door and invite him to come down for breakfast. So Billy knocked, opened the door and we heard a shrill "UH-UHHHHHHHHHH!" followed by a door slamming. I think T was trying to tell us he was not ready to come down! Billy came down laughing and said, "Boy is he ever mad!"

While I went to get dressed, TB went to the foot of the stairs to wait for T to come out of the room. When I got came back, I heard more "uh-uhs!" Tomas was now lying at the top of the stairs. I called to him, "Tomas, come on down for breakfast!"

He lifted his head, glared at TB, pointed at him and said imperiously, "Uh-uh!" Then he pointed to me. TB ducked back out of sight and T began to get up. Then TB poked his head back into view, like he was playing peek-a-boo and Tomas pointed at him, called out "Uh-uh!" again and then pointed at me. It was becoming clear what he was saying and so I said, "It's rude to tell Pop-Pop to go away. He can say good morning to you."

With that, T began to come down the stairs. He had such an expression on his face, TB and I both started laughing. I wish I'd had my camera to record all of it because it loses a lot in translation when I type it out.

These pictures weren't taken today but they show different types of "uh-uh".



This is the "uh-uh" we get when we want Tomas to comply with a request: please shut the pantry doors, please sit down and eat, please put away your toys, and so on...



This "uh-uh" is in response to one of us doing something he objects to but wants to see anyway...what I mean is, sometimes he doesn't want us to sing along with Dora or Diego or make the signs they make. So he'll hold up the hand and say "Uh-uh!" But if we keep going, he'll sometimes try to hide from it ... although he's still wanting to see what we're doing!

Anyway, I'm hoping this doesn't sound like a complaint or like I'm poking fun. He is so endearing while all this is going on. I just love that little boy!