Hi, my name is Kelly and I write about being a dad. Let me tell you 
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youtubeThursday, August 28th, 2008
What does a dog say?
Alleke scampered along behind us through the park picking up leaves, too busy to notice what was going on around her until a puppy bounded over, all wriggles, and sniffed the leaves in her hand.
Alleke froze, then dropped the leaves and made a run for it. I picked her up, and she wrapped her arm around my neck like I was her life preserver. Together we watched the puppy paw at the leaves.
“Alleke, what does a dog say?” I asked.
Selfishly, I take every opportunity to ask Alleke what dogs say because when she was less than a year old she started making this adorable noise that sounds a lot like a dog barking. It’s “um um,” and the sound is deep and muffled like someone drilling into the wall next door.
I suppose what makes Alleke’s “um um” so adorable is watching her try to express what she is hearing around her, with the result being both remarkably accurate and uniquely Alleke.
Imagine my sadness, then, when Alleke pointed at the puppy playing in the leaves and answered, “Ruff ruff.”
MORE ON: alleke, dad, dogs, park
4 COMMENTS
the “um um” is gone?! i’m heartbroken.
August 28, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I hope you have “um um” on tape/video for later enjoyment.
August 28, 2008 at 8:23 pm
um, yeah…that would have been a good idea.
August 29, 2008 at 9:33 pmLEAVE YOUR COMMENT
Alexa said...
That is pretty funny. Actually Gideon now barks whenever he sees a dog or puppy, except that he does bark in Spanish. He says “guau guau”, and he must have learned it from my mom, since I have no memory in teaching him this. I love bilingual animal sounds.
August 28, 2008 at 1:47 pm