Verbal inventions won't get you to Vegas

The English language can be a hard nut to crack. There are concepts, for example, that seem to make sense, only as sensical as they may be, they are still wrong. Logan, as a verbose yet still young speaker, sometimes stumbles into this type of thing. These little nuances to his speech make me smile. I know that sooner, rather than later, he'll outgrow it. Just as he has so many of his other verbal idiosyncrasies. Last year Christmas lights really were Christmas lights and not "Santa Lights" as they were when he was 17 months old - something I think he adopted in order to avoid trying to pronounce "Christmas."

He's adopted another little personal adaptation to our language. I get why he does it and I find it incredibly endearing. Here it is used within it's original context:

"I don't want to read that book tonight. We read that yesternight."

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Sometimes he latches onto something that he thinks he gets, only he doesn't completely. When I'm done either stifling a laugh or chuckling out loud as I say "Logan, you crack me up!", I try to gently correct his mistake. Of course sometimes, like tonight, I end up throwing my hands in the air and writing it off as a lost cause that will at least make good blog fodder.

Here's what I mean:

We were driving home from Grandma and Papa's house tonight. As has become a recent habit, we detoured a block from home to see some of the inflatable Halloween directions. It was dark already and so I knew that the Winnie the Pooh and Tigger decorations that had been deflated when we passed at twilight a few days ago would indeed be up today. I told Logan this and he told me I was wrong, they weren't up. He knew.

"I bet you a nickel for your piggy bank those decorations are up!" I said.

"No, it's not a nickel, it's a dime." he told me.

Ok fine, I think, apparently he's learned the art of negotiation. Perhaps I should bring him with me to work to discuss a raise. "A dime, huh? Ok, if you're wrong you owe me a dime. If I'm wrong, I owe you a dime."

He laughed heartily. "Silly Mommy! That's not how it goes. If I'm right and the decorations are down, I get a dime. If you're right and they're up I get a nickel."

Nice logic there kiddo. So I correct him. No, that's not how a bet works. If it's up I win the dime! If I'm wrong, you get the dime. He gave me the typical "Why?" I did my best to explain and by the time I had finished we were slowing to a crawl in front of the (Yes indeed!) inflated Winnie and Tigger.

"See?!" I said.

Megan yelled "Yay! Bear!" She clapped happily.

Logan giggled. "Yay! I win! I get a nickel!"

I give up.