creative communication

Right now Esther has two confirmed words: "there" (pronounced "deh") and "down" (pronounced "deu," vowel as in book). She may be saying a few others as well, but those are the only ones we're sure of. Meanwhile, she has a lot that she wants us to know! So, we have scenes like the following:

Linette (looking at a book with Esther): "Look, somebody has a backpack! See the water bottle in it?"
Esther: Suddenly gets up and goes running into the kitchen. Comes back out, firmly closes the book and drops it on the floor, grabs Mommy by the finger and tows her into the kitchen. Stops at the kitchen sink and lifts up her arms.
Linette: Looks above the sink and guesses that Esther wants the cereal that is sitting on top of the cupboard. Puts Esther in her chair and gives her some cereal.
Esther: Cries and throws the cereal on the floor.
Linette (thinking back to the water bottle in the book): Offers Esther a cup of milk.
Esther: Guzzles the milk. (At which point Linette realizes that Esther wasn't asking for cereal, but wanted Mommy to pick her up, take a cup out of the cupboard by the sink and give her a drink of water, which is her post-tooth-brushing routine.)

Daddy was a little more astute at figuring out what she wanted this morning:

Esther: Eating food off the floor below her chair.
Daddy: "Are you hungry?"
Esther: Laughs and runs to the refrigerator.
Daddy: Puts Esther in her chair and gives her cottage cheese, which she eats happily.
Esther (when the cottage cheese is finished): Points to kitchen.
Daddy: Gets out milk.
Esther: Pushes milk away and points to kitchen again.
Daddy: Points to cereal.
Esther: Laughs.
Daddy: Takes down box of Puffins.
Esther: Shakes her head.
Daddy: Takes down box of Life.
Esther: Shakes her head.
Daddy: Takes down box of Cheerios.
Esther: Laughs.
Daddy: Gives Esther Cheerios, which she eats happily.