Literal Translation

As adults we understand the need to interrupt some things that are said, read, or seen on tv to mean something other than what was actually said. We also understand (for the most part) sarcasm and metaphors and the like. One of my favorite examples is from when I taught pre-school and we were making guacamole. I told my 4 year old student to "pop that baby out of there" referring to the pit of the avocado. I'm not sure what literary term "baby" is actually being used as in that sentence, but I do know that the little girl was very confused and looked under the table for a baby.

Now Jonah too takes things literally. At our going away party he was screaming very loudly in play and I, without thinking, said "if you are going to scream, go in the other room." Jonah took this too well (I should have know something was up) because he walked a whole 10 steps to the kitchen (which opened right up to the family room where we were all sitting) and continued to scream in fun. I asked for that.

Recently Jonah was entertaining us at the dining room table and began to "zerbert" and spit all over his food and ours. My dad calmly said, "Jonah, we don't spit at the dinner table." Jonah anxiously asked in return, "where do we spit?"