The beginning, or the end?

Dan came into the TV room last night about 9pm chuckling to himself and suggested I go talk to Connor (who SHOULD have been sound asleep, having been put to bed at least 45 minutes prior). I asked for a little heads up and was told that he had heard Connor talking in his bedroom, so went in to remind him that it was BEDTIME and that he needed to be quiet. Apparently, Connor very excitedly said something along the lines of, "But dada, I used to say "quirrel" forever and ever, but now I say "squirrel"." And supposedly he "pwacticed and pwacticed at 'nastics (gymnastics)" and that's how he can say it now.

In case you don't remember me mentioning it before, Connor doesn't say "s" sounds at the beginnings of words where the s is followed by another consonent. So spoon would be poon, spicy would by picy, squirrel would be quirrel, and so on. We've "pwacticed" with him for several months now on adding in that s sound, to no avail. "Connor, say sssssssssss. Now say sssssss-poon. Now say spoon." "poon!" It's created confusion from time to time (like when I got on Jared's case for supposedly taking a toy pot away from Connor at the little kitchen set we had, when, in fact, Connor was upset about Jared taking his SPOT at the kitchen set...). It's created amusement from time to time (like when he's hollering for a "big poon wif peanut butter on it...). It's also been the little quirk that just made Connor, CONNOR.

I headed back to his room to hear for myself, and sure enough, squirrel is now squirrel, and school is school, and spicy is spicy... And sure enough, "he pwacticed and pwacticed at 'nastics."

I guess it's the end of the quirky missing S's, and the beginning of a lew level of speech and growth for my little guy. To tell you the truth, as much as I've worried that the quirky speech would hold him back in school if it persisted too much longer, I'm kind of loath to let go of that "baby"-ish part of him! At least we still have the wonky "R" and "L" sounds at the beginning of words (he can say Emily and Jared perfectly, but poor neighbor Lilly is Willy, and neighbor Ryder is Wyder). I suspect in time, those quirky letters will correct themselves as well, and I will cheer and be thrilled and be proud of all his "pwactice", but I will forever think of it as the end of something that's HIM before I think of it as the beginning of something else. My "baby" is growing up, and I don't like it! *grin* (PS I was so proud of him that I half-laughed, half-cried, and made him show off his new still for far longer than I should have considering the time of night it was... I just already miss the funny wording he's used for the last year.)

And just because I think it's hilarious, I have to comment that out of ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the words he could have been "pwacticing", he chose SQUIRREL???? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!