Ya

Posted on July 12, 2007 - Filed Under Kids, Personal | Leave a Comment

In Spanish, there is a tiny little word “ya”. It means a variety of things, but the most common usage is roughly translated to mean, “enough” or “done”.

Dorian has recently begun using this little word very effectively. He totally gets the meaning. Unfortunately, despite my vows to only speak English with my boys, “ya” has crept into even my Western vocabulary. So, it was inevitable that he would start using it.

For example, when he is making a stinky diaper, he will concentrate really hard then look up and say, “Ya, Mama.” As in, “I´m done pooping, Mama.” Or the other day, we were on the bus and it was horribly crowded. We were third to a seat and squashed between standing riders and sitting ones. He didn´t like it one little bit, my boy likes his personal space!

Well, after about ten minutes, Dorian was ready to get off the bus and started wiggling frantically on my lap. “Ya?” (are we done?) “Ya, mama?” I explained that we had to wait until we got to Antigua. Every single time the bus stopped to let someone off or on, he was anxiously asking “Ya? ya?”

It is kind of useful when he´s eating though. I ask if he´s done eating and he will say “Ya.” Or, occasionally “all done” (see I didn´t screw him up too badly, he speaks some English!). So, that is nice when he tells me that he is all finished! I can take his plate away without him throwing a fit.