ya-yas

Graham loves ya-yas. It was his first word for Elmo and the entire Sesame Street gang. Every character had the same name, Ya-ya. Then, he discovered his second love, one for which he finds endless passion. "Ya-ya" became the electronic device, mainly cell phones, but not limited to anything with a button. Once, in the car, Graham played with a toy cell-phone and (I counted and timed) said "ya-ya" seventy times in ten minutes. He loves his ya-yas.

The other morning, he was playing in my bed. He picked up a little toy Big Bird and said, "ya-ya." Now he has learned to say, "Bi-buh," for Big Bird. I reminded him of this saying, "Graham, that's BIG BIRD, not a ya-ya." He replied, "Ya-ya." I countered, "No, B -ig B- ird," enunciating for educational purposes.

He put the Big Bird to his ear and said, "He-yo," a la me with a cell-phone.

I guess I'm the ya-ya.