There are so many moments in life that we wish will last forever. There are so many things that we never want to forget… especially words. And when it comes to grandchildren, I think the wishing to capture everything takes on a whole new meaning.

Especially the words. The made-up ones. The stringing together of syllables or the eliminating of them to create brand new words. It’s these words and phrases that melt our hearts and make us wish we could, indeed, capture each and every one of them.

Benjamin has been melting my heart lately with his word phrase that means chocolate milk. Ben loves to burst into our home through our side door, right into the kitchen. He always has his worn yellow blankie in his arms and most always comes with the barest of clothing. Benjamin is never cold. He is 2.5 years of warmth… inner and outer. But he always has the biggest smile and one request:

“Chaw-nilk.”

From the time Ben could talk, he has called “milk” nilk. It doesn’t matter how often you try to correct him… milk is nilk. I don’t know where the chaw came from in his demands requests for chocolate nilk, but I think it may be to get the request out much faster. I mean, why bother with the two extra syllables colate part of chaw-colate when Grandma seems to understand and interpret the chaw syllable so well? And Ben has to work quickly, because Mommy and Daddy are not so on-board with the chocolate milk dispensing that goes on at my home. The faster he says it, the faster it’s delivered.

So chaw-nilk is one of my most favorite words in the universe. But I know as I’m sitting here that this little word phrase created by my precious little Benjamin will pass with the days. I know there will come that moment when he asks me for chocolate milk… and I will so wish I had a built-in audio-video system in my home to rewind… and show him some day the pure syrupy sweetness of his little guy-hood.

But in my own magical memories, I will never forget.