Language Lessons on Election Night
November 5, 2008
Orison heard a lot of new words yesterday while listening to the coverage on the radio during dinner. He was fascinated by words like “election” and “vote” and “President.” And he always likes it when he hears a word on the radio that he can relate to—”Mom, he said Pennsylvania!” (where my family lives).
He also heard a new name countless times. He’s been trying to say it all morning. The one that makes me laugh the most is “Gorocko Bama.”
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1. Barnabas | November 5, 2008 at 10:41 am
Grace calls him Rockobama. We’re working on “president Rocko.”
2. Tina | November 5, 2008 at 10:44 am
LOL!!!
3. Abraham Piper | November 5, 2008 at 11:31 am
I like to think of his mispronunciation as an imperative to our new president: “Go rock, Obama!”
4. Pam | November 5, 2008 at 11:31 am
Love it! President Rocko sounds Italian…lol
We just reelected our Prime Minister in Canada and my son was so disappointed that “his” candidate didn’t win. Confused, I asked him who he was rooting for (he’s 4 1/2) and he said “John Piper of course”…I guess he hears that name a lot at our house!
5. carissa | November 5, 2008 at 11:35 am
CUTE.
6. Nikki | November 5, 2008 at 11:39 am
Our 1 year old, who is just learning to talk, has been babbling for months now, making sounds like “baba” and “mama”, that in certain combinations sounded very much like “Obama”. We desperately tried to teach him “McCain” or “Third-Party-alternative”, but alas it was in vain. I suppose now that is Obama is president-elect we probably will need to teach him how to say his name eventually.
7. Jess | November 5, 2008 at 11:48 am
I love it! My own 5 year old insists that it is “Iraq Obama”.
8. Bryan DeWire | November 5, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Yay for PA!
9. Shari | November 5, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Funny! We had a similar incident with Avery, she was at the dinner table w/ my folks and she was trying to say Grandma and would pronounce it Bama.. and my step dad said “did she just say Obama?” Ahhhhh.. no.
10. Lindsey | November 5, 2008 at 1:38 pm
My two-year-old has become obsessed with his presidents placemat lately (even though I don’t really know how to explain what a president is to him–the daddy of our country???). My husband laughed when he came home last week and heard “Obama” at the very end. I know I jumped the gun but we all knew it was coming. He says “Obama” just fine but “Roosevelt” is another matter…
11. Tonyia | November 5, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Ok, he can acctually pronounce he name better than my husband, lol!
12. Amber | November 5, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Wow I haven’t laughed all day and that sent me into an uproar! thanks so much
13. Kendall | November 5, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Geez… sounds like a Muppet character.
14. Kate H | November 5, 2008 at 4:09 pm
wow! he must take after his daddy and grandpa!
15. Greta | November 5, 2008 at 5:06 pm
It does sound like a Muppet and that is hilarious! Your kid is crackin everybody up!
16. Phoebe | November 5, 2008 at 7:11 pm
My three-year old brother calls him Rocko Bama too. In fact, last Saturday I was showing him a paper and I asked him “who’s this?” pointing at Obama.
“Rocko Bama,” he answered.
I then pointed to McCain and asked who he was.
“Mmmmm… nothing,” he said, a little cattily. He recognized the person somewhat but couldn’t remember the name, and nodded when I said “Mr. McCain!”
I was appalled! But at the same time, I realized Obama would probably be president.
And he is.
17. Noel | November 5, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Oscar calls him Rock-a-bama.
18. Kim | November 5, 2008 at 9:46 pm
We’ve got Broccoli Bama!
19. Chris | November 6, 2008 at 7:15 am
I love when kids are at that bilingual age:)