...and then there were two!

What's the sign for...?

Fish? Dog? More? Bye-bye? Papa? Sleep? Milk? Banana? Star? Please? Eat? Wash hands? "I love you"? Watching "The Wheels Of The Bus" for the umpteenth time?

(Yes, there's a sign for that! DN created it - waving his hands in circles like, er, the wheels on the bus... it's really a no-brainer!)

To date, that's the list of signs he has learnt. The very first sign he picked up was "banana". Not "Mum" or "Dad", but the sign for a yellow fruit favoured by monkeys.

And to date, the only word he will say is "mum-mum". Not "mum-mum-MOTHER" but "mum-mum-FOOD".

Can you see the trend? It's quite clear what his priorities are. And it's not me or PF! That's gratitude for you, humph. -_-

But teaching him signing has turned out to be a good move because DN is able to communicate with us with those basic, but vital, signs. He can tell us when he wants more food (his favourite sign... go figure!), he signs "please" whenever he wants something (I'm mighty pleased he picked that up), he lets us know when he's tired ("sleep") and when he wants milk. (which is a somewhat embarrassing sign when you're out in public - you open and close your fist, like milking a cow)

The Signing Time DVDs teach American Sign Language and most of the signs are very logical and common sense. For example, to sign "fish", you mimic the movement of a fish in water. "Dog" is patting the side of your thigh, like you would when calling a dog. To sign "banana", you raise your left index finger and with your right index finger, you stroke it down your left. It looks like you're peeling a banana!

Some signs are just weird. "Father" is opening your right hand and tapping your forehead with your thumb. "Mother" is doing the same, but this time tapping your chin with your thumb. DN learnt how to sign "Papa" but refuses to sign "Mummy". Humph.

There are so many more signs we want to teach DN --> thank you, mummy, cat, cracker, mummy, water, drink, bread, mummy, ouch, sorry, shoes, grandpa, grandma, bird and of course, mummy.

Thanks again, Carla, for passing us the 1st 2 Signing Time DVDs! ;)