Quantities like 'So Much'

Recently, we've been working with Emma to learn about quantities and size. We talk about little things, big things, too much, a lot, and she is learning her numbers from 1-12. She has even begun negotiating how many M&M's we should dole out. I'll say, "I'll give you 2 M&M's". She will then reply with "I want 5 Mns" (she can't quite say M&M's).

So when Emma began to use the quantity 'so much' I was puzzled. Her typical usage is to say 'Tickle me soooo much'. This morning I finally realized why she was using this usage.

Nicole's favorite book to read to Emma is 'Guess How Much I Love You'. It is about Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare and they talk about how much they love one another. To reinforce this, Nicole and I always hug her and tell her 'I love you so much'. Emma now thinks that 'So Much' is a quantity, and it is the maximum possible quantity known to mankind. After all, mommy and daddy tell me that they love me 'So Much' and that is more than anything.....