Expanding Vocabulary

I remember the days when all three of my kids started talking. Each new word or phrase that was mastered created much excitement. The first dozen times I heard "Mommy" uttered from the lips of my children brought pure unadulterated joy. These days, not so much. Usually I cringe, because the "Mommy" is quickly followed by "Oops...I didn't mean to but..." or "s/he started it".
There were also those words that brought mortification upon hearing them from these rugrats. Like the time Devlin stated "f---" after seeing the poop in his underwear. This was back in the potty training days, when he was completely potty trained, and inexplicably regressed and refused to use the toilet for poop. He would pee like clockwork in the toilet, but steadfastly refused to poop in anything but his underwear. After awhile, frustrated beyond belief (especially after reading parenting books that stated such regression was completely normal and could last up to a year), I would curse whenever I had to peel away poopy underwear. Finally, Devlin picked up on the proper usage of the curse.
Ceilidh, thankfully, hasn't picked up any nasty language. It's still something worth tattling on when she hears someone say "stupid". Aisling is still at that adorable stage with a slight lisp, when every comment (other than "no") elicits smiles and laughs. Her "Ewww, 'gusting" whenever she smells or sees something unpleasant is hilarious, as is her "peeth" for please.
You measure your toddler's development by their expanding vocabulary. As they grow older, you begin to assess their development by their grammar and the complexity of their sentences. You can also determine when your little baby boy is becoming a real boy by listening to their new lingo. For instance, last week, I realized that Devlin had picked up the word "totally".
D: Something funny happened at school. In gym, I couldn't catch the ball and it hit in the face. Everyone laughed but it like, totally hurt.
Another example:
D: Excuse me...I farted.
Me: You sure did, and it does stink.
D (grinning): Yeah, it totally smells.

My little boy is growing up. Totally.