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Willow makes friends ... and words

Willow's vocabulary and friend-making skills took big leaps forward this week.
At the zoo on Wednesday when Willow and I hopped in the newly renovated tot mat, she quickly became friends with a toddler boy and girl. Soon they were off an running, zipping back and forth from side to side, plopping their heads in synchronization onto the padded seats on each side.
The trio giggled and giggled and ran and fell and got back up and ran and plopped and giggled. I had fun just watching.
The toddler girl could talk pretty well, and I think that inspired Willow to talk a little more than she usually does. Of course, most of Willow's talking is gibberish, but sometimes she blurts out a recognizable word or two.
Once when she was trying to get up on to the padded seating, she said (I swear to it), "I wan up!" She hasn't said that phrase since then, but she's said, "Up!" several times.
Since that visit to the zoo, she's also uttered such words as:
Ow-weh ... gah-der (alligator).
Opper (otter).
Birw-dwe (birdie).
Buh-dehr ... fwry (butterfly).
El-fan ... (elephant).
Arh-arh ... (dog, as in arf, arf!).
Gwraz ... (grass).
Now I don't know if you objective folks out there would hear any of those words as clearly as I do, but I can tell you something without objection ...
They're music to my ears.

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