Dora the Explorer indeed

My youngest spawn, Lulu, loves to watch Dora the Explorer. She often pretends she IS Dora and likes to pretend I or Micah are Boots. (Ky or Sissy as she is known is often an unwitting and non-participating Swiper the Fox)

We also speak a lot of Gringo Spanish in my house. I was raised with a Latina and my mother and she would speak Spanish to each other all the time. So a lot of my speech is peppered with random Spanish words as that was how I grew up and honestly, it's what I've been doing to my children for years. So Lizzie is used to hearing Spanish from both me, her Nana, her Sissy, Micah, her Dad and of course our hero Dora. She, more than Ky, uses Spanish words randomly.

But lately, thanks to Dora, she has begun to believe that she speaks fluent Spanish. Like the Spanish kids next door, who speak NO English. I've tried to tell her that what she is saying is just made up but she refuses to believe me and continues to prattle and sing her made up Spanish words.

So the other night she was playing outside in the backyard and Micah caught her talking to the neighbor kids next door. Except she was standing in the middle of yard SCREAMING her made up Spanish to them, attempting to talk to them. It went something like this:

Lulu: MOOKA LOOKA POOKA TEE!
Other Kids: *looking at her like she's nuts*
Lulu: POOKA SETA CINCO!
OK: *go inside to tell their Mom about the weird kid outside*

Yes, I admit she used ONE Spanish word. I can't tell you want context she used it in or if it was correct because, frankly, I think she lucked onto that word rather than actually KNOWING it meant 5.

Thanks Dora. If that Mom gives me one more funny look I swear I am going to rip Backpack to shreds and send Boots to the great banana tree in the sky.