Parental Fail or Airhead of a Child?

I'd like to think that I've done a pretty good job of educating my daughters.  Ages 2 & 5 when we adopted them from Western Samoa, K & C have been very accommodating and cooperative kids.  C is a a textbook overachiever (would never know where she gets that from) and K is slowly but surely beginning to rise to the challenge - school as really not been her bag since her days in Preschool with Miss Kelly.  But hell, Miss Kelly is a tough act to follow - crafts galore, movies, taking naps in tents, singing - hell I wanted to hang with Miss Kelly!  And although her preschool days were truly idyllic (for all of us - K was so darn cute, speech impediment and all), I certainly didn't think it would take nine years to get the enthusiasm back into her academic life, but it's back and that's all that matters.  So even though all seems to be well, some days I see glitches, things that randomly occur and I'm like 'WTH, how did I forget to teacher her that?'

For example, last week we were cruising through the traffic filled aisles of "W" when K says, 'I need some confederate sugar.' I promptly respond with 'Okay, but I prefer union sugar, you know, growing up in the north and all.'  Yeah, she had no idea of her mistake or of my reference -epic fail.  I clearly explained that it was confectioners sugar she would need and to get a small package - we came home with a huge bag but it was the correct item and that's all that matters, right?

Tomatoes have forever been referred to as potatoes - she is 13, when is it going to click?  Please don't think I'm poking fun at a learning disabled child - hell, she is on the National Junior Honor Society and her last report card was multiple A's and one B.  Great kid, now a great student, and wit to beat the band...but sometimes her comments make you want to "hmmm..."


Fast forward to last night.  Same child steps out onto the deck and blurts out 'Oww, it's snowing salt!'  Serious as a heart attack, 'it's snowing salt!'  Again, I explained, 'No honey, that's called sleet, a mixture of snow and rain.'  Hmm, she wasn't the least bit concerned with her faux pas and moved on to Tweet about the 'salt' coming down in her backyard.

Is this some hidden English as a Second Language issue that has laid dormant for 10+ years or have I simply not spoken enough to my youngest child?!  Maybe it is personal on my part -am I just afraid to face the fact that she is not the lover of literacy that I am and that she actually enjoys her mistakes?  I am going upstairs to ponder this situation, under my cozy covers with a good book - escaping reality is always the answer to face palm situations. Deuces!