There is absolutely nothing on this earth more adorable than a little kid with a Southern accent, but we don't live in the South. THAT is why I am very THOU SHALT NOT HAVE AN ACCENT when it comes to Alexis.
Full disclosure: it's possible that there is a shrink's couch somewhere with my name on it because HOOBOY do I carry around all of the paranoia about my own accent around with me. Although, I don't have an accent. SHUT UP. I DO NOT. There might be a word or two that I still pronounce the way a North Dakotan would, but that is only when I'm mad. You'll hear it if ever you anger me to the point of smoke coming out of my ears. If that happens, RUN.
Anyway, about ten minutes after I moved into the dorm my freshman year of college, a small crowd was gathered around me asking me to pronounce a certain word because apparently I had a funny accent. It was SO funny that everyone kept asking me to say that word again and again and no I am not telling you what word it was. Don't bother asking.
I worked very hard to lose my accent.
And I have.
SHUT UP I HAVE SO.
So, it is with much pride that I'm able to report that Alexis is mostly devoid of a Yinzer accent. She says "Picksburgh," but other than that, the girl has got that proper English pronunciation thing going on. She pronounces aunt, caught, caramel, creek, pecan, poem, jaguar, and crayon THE RIGHT WAY. Don't ask me what the right way is. Just know that she's got it.
Which, considering the husband has a very Hoosier accent, is no small feat. Between the Yinzers everywhere in her life, my little dose of NoDak, and the very prevalent Hoosier influence, it's really a miracle the kid gets most things right.
It's soda by the way. You pop a balloon. You drink soda. Alexis agrees, so it must be true.
