Dictionary Lesson

Last Night [lahst nahyt]
- adverb

1. on the night preceding this day
2. two minutes ago
3. six months ago at my friend's birthday party
4. earlier this morning


For the past several months, Noelle has used "last night" to mean anything that has ever happened in her lifetime. I am very aware that she does this, but it never fails that I become lost as she is explaining something to me because I am trying so hard to remember what we did yesterday evening. Thirty seconds later it dawns on me that she was referring to some random time last August , and I feel dumb.

So, if you ever hear Noelle say, "I threw up in my bed last night," don't worry. She doesn't have a stomach bug. She just doesn't know what last night means.