Dorsal Fins

My favorite picture of my current kids is one I didn't actually take. I was scared I would ruin the moment, so I picked up the camera and put it right back down. In the picture, Ladybug and Baby Beignet are side by side on the couch, pillows behind them, shared blanket covering them, pile of books surrounding and burying them. They were reading "Whales and Dolphins," a book we picked up at the store after going to Sea World. The conversation was something like this:

Bug: Look! Orca Whale. He name Shamu.
Beignet: Oh yeah, look at that beluga whale. He's so cute. I'm gonna get me a beluga whale.
Bug: I get me dolphin and humpback whale. See humpback whale dorsal fin?

Next was the book on dogs.
Beignet: When I get big, I am gonna have a chihuahua.
Bug: Look, puppy get ball in the water. That Arlo. Arlo get ball.
Beignet: There are the sled dogs. They live in the cold.
Bug: Police dog! Dog help the police!!

I loved this moment for so many reasons. I loved that the girls were reading books. I loved that they were doing it together. And I loved that our shared experiences are what fueled their new vocabulary words. Hearing "dorsal fin" out of a 2-year-old's mouth is pretty fun.