Learning to talk

I just have to tell you this one. I've written about how Elizabeth is really trying to mimic and sound things out, heavy on most consonants.  She's getting really good at her letters, but sometimes she gets mixed up.  This morning, she said "hib-bup" (hiccup) and she asks for "bibicks" (biscuits) at dinner on most nights, if we have rolls.  I made chili earlier this week and we had chips with them, which of course she wanted, but we couldn't get her to ask for.  She just pointed for them.

Well today, we were eating lunch and she points to the table and asks for the four-letter "d" word.  I'm not joking.  I'll call it "duck" for blogging purposes.  I'm cleaning up the table and she is basically done, but she points to the scraps and says, "Duck."  

I almost choke on my water.  "What, honey?  What do you want?"  "Duck," she answers.  "Do you mean, chip?" I ask, trying desperately to find out what she wants to I can correct her, but there are no chips on the table.  I'm thinking, do not react...do not react...because then she will say it all the time.  My brain is already shooting ahead to family dinners with my grandmother...being called into the church nursery to discuss my daughter's language...what Rachel's first word will be...the first time her Uncle Jason hears it...

So what happened?  I couldn't figure it out and she stopped asking for it.  I kept my face neutral and started cleaning her up and plopped her onto the floor.  She ran into the living room to play and I didn't hear it again.  Crisis aborted...for now...