Madeleine's Code Language

Madeleine is the queen of taking up a ton of unnecessary time concocting code words and sign language to convey something that otherwise would require only a quick response.  Some past examples include, for those who may not remember:

ME: (calling into the bathroom) Madeleine, are you done pooping yet?
MADELEINE: Uh, Mama?  "Paper paper" means I'm done!
ME: Okay.
MADELEINE: Paper paaaper!


OR:

ME: (laying out two dresses) Madeleine, which dress do you want to wear, this one or this one?
MADELEINE: Uh, Mama?  I will FLOMP onto the dress that I want to wear.
ME: Okay.
MADELEINE: (studying both dresses, then full-body leaping on top of one of them)


Last night was a real Madeleine-special, as I encouragingly gathered up bites of broccoli (which she, at long last, is willing to eat) onto her fork.

ME: (holding out another forkful towards Madeleine)
MADELEINE: I'm still chewing.  Mama.  This means- (putting her hand into a fist and holding up her thumb and pinky) Wait, Mama... (putting up a third finger along with the thumb and pinky) Mama.  This means...wait, Mama... (holding up all five fingers as if expecting a high five) Okay Mama.  THIS means...wait, Mama... (waving her hand back and forth) Mama.  THIS means "I'm ready."  So Mama.  (waving her hand at me.)
ME: (handing the fork to her)

And just think.  If she had just swallowed what she had been chewing and accepted the next forkful, she could have eaten her next bite SO much more easily.  But that's just not how Madeleine rolls, folks.

Now, it would be one thing if we had a pre-established sign language gesture so that Madeleine could simply signal to me when she's done chewing.  In that case, she wouldn't actually DELAY her chewing process in order to tell me repeatedly what series of hand gestures she's changing her mind on, and she could give me the sign and I could hand her the fork.  Done.  Simple.

Unfortunately, next time around I already know it won't be the same as last night's sign.  Madeleine is ALL FOR mixing it up.  One day the signal is "newspaper" and the next day it's "leaf."  (I speak from true life experience.)  Constant change-ups occur in Madeleine's world of code.  And I can totally see why.  Life would sure get boring and predictable if it was all "paper paper" all the time.  We need to spice things up with some variety!  That way, no one will ever really know what Madeleine is talking about.  It keeps us on our toes!

"Paper paper" means this blog post is done.

Paper paper.