Lolly, Lolly, Lolly get your adverbs here!

My kids are freaks. It is all because I am a freak, too. Somewhere along the line I became a word nerd. Actually I know precisely where and when--it was in Mrs. Jacobs's sophomore english class at Skyline High School in the lovely year of 1987. That was a great year. We celebrated 200 years of the United States Constitution, I had really cool bangs, my family took a raging vacation for 3 weeks in the family station wagon across the United States, and I fell in love with the inner workings of the English language.

Somehow I passed this grammar-freak gene along to my kids. My sister pointed this out over Thankgiving when Savanna, who is 4, said, "I have to go to the bathroom so BADLY!" Her proper use of adverbs is unusual for a four-year-old. Actually it is unusual for 99% of Americans. Perhaps I paid too much attention to School House Rock when it was on each Saturday morning between Scooby Doo and Land of the Lost. But Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here stuck in my brain. And somehow my grammar lessons stuck with the kids.

The kids say, "I will hold it very carefulLY," or "I want it so badLY," and "I can do it quickLY," "Look, I drew this perfectly," and "I can jump off of this easiLY."

Now if I can just help Savanna with her past-participles I'll be all set. But it is still cute to hear, "Mom, I drawded this picture for you," "I put-ed my gloves on all by myself," and "Guess what I dreamded about last night?" It helps me remember she is a little girl, and they grow up too fast---I mean quickLY!