We all know that raising children means marking and passing milestones along the way.
The first smile, the first full night's sleep, the first step.
Saying 'Mama' or getting stitches...
Those events and achievements in development which are common across most children in a given culture.

And then there are the milestones we didn't know were milestones... that is, we didn't expect them to be momentous or to mark some sea change in our child or our relationship with them. Some we didn't even know to expect!

This past week saw another milestone reached in our family.
One of the second kind.

The Now We Have to Speak in Pig Latin Milestone.

That's right.
The Now We Have to Speak in Pig Latin Milestone.
The one where your child can spell well enough (or guess well enough when combining spelling and context!) that you can't spell things you don't want her to know about in her presence any more.
No more P-A-R-K or I-C-E C-R-E-A-M.

To be fair, Rowan has known for quite a while that if we were spelling something in front of her, it concerned her and she should pay extra special attention to any and all clues.
But now, at almost 6, spelling is utterly out of the questions when discretion is required.

I am partial to signing but when I try to sign something discreetly to my husband he always says 'What? What are you doing?' loudly enough and with enough suspicion that my daughter knows something is up.
Way to go, dear.
(This is why I hate playing Pictionary on his team!).
And don't even get me started on my 'clever' attempts at word play.

So I have fallen back on my mother's go-to.
Pig Latin.
Ouyay nwknay, igpay atinlay.
 Which I suppose is a milestone of my own?

A fine idea.
Except my husband's Pig Latin is sort of like my French~ he can understand a little and speak even less.
And my daughter has the language facilty of the young and seems to be picking it up swiftly.

Perhaps we need to put him through some sort of Pig Latin immersion program?
Because when this peters out, I am moving on to Esperanto!

What milestones have you or your children passed recently? Please do share int he comments!♥♥