I Spy

Phoebe and I have just dropped Emily off at school and are continuing our game of I Spy. It is Phoebe's turn. "I spy with my little eye something beginning with luh," she says. (We play using sounds rather than letters, as she doesn't know the alphabet yet.)

I look around. I can't see anything beginning with L. Usually it's ph for Phoebe, kuh for car, tuh for tree and occasionally puh for poo (depending on how active the local dogs have been).

"Ummm. I don't know, darling. What begins with luh?"

"Late!" she cries triumphantly.

"Late? What do you mean?"

"Emily's late! We didn't leaved the house on time this morning and now she's late!"

"Well, that's very clever," I chuckle, "but actually we only play I Spy with things we can see, like cars, trees, or, um, poo."

She looks at me, disappointed at my inability to grasp the completely obvious, and explains carefully: "Daddy, look at the playground. Emily is the only one there and she is running to her classroom. All the other children have goed inside. I can see she's late!"

To which, of course, I can only say, "Well done, my love. You're absolutely right."