Mary Elizabeth (a/k/a Michigan J. Frog)

Do you remember the Looney Tunes episode where the man finds the frog in a box, the frog gets up and does a whole routine of singing, dancing and entertaining, so the man, seeing hoards of money in his future, rents out a theater, sets up an opening night and takes his frog to perform? The frog is perched and ready and the curtains open up and the frog promptly sits on the stage and says "ribbit". This is what Mary Elizabeth is like.

When we are in the car, or at home with just the family she chatters on and on.

In the car

M.E. -- Mommy, there's the choo choo train. Daddy is on the choo choo train. Can I go on the choo choo train, too; bye, bye choo choo train.

When I come back in to the room after doing something, anything else around the house:

M.E. -- Mommy, where you been? Can I go with you? I want to help, I need to see

and so on and so on. She always lets us know what she wants, what she is thinking and what she has to say.

When we go somewhere and anyone tries to talk to her: "ribbit"

I'm afraid people are going to start thinking my daughter is mute (no, I promise, that is just the cat). She will smile pretty, point, nod, and act coy but hardly a word! And the worst part, she has an amazing vocabulary. Sometimes I cannot believe the things she comes up with, but no one will believe me unless I get her on tape, because all I can get out of her in public is, basically, "ribbit"