Open, Sesame

Your mom texted me yesterday While I was racing at the Southwestern Regional Championships to tell me that you'd figured out how to open the front door.  You are now just tall enough to reach the handle, pull it down towards you to spring the lock.  You then drop to your knees and pull on the doorstop attached to the door to pull the door open.

I greatly look forward to seeing you do this.  While it means we'll have to take some precautions so you don't crawl out the front door and into the street, it also means you can plan ahead, understand how things work, and are happy to do things for yourself.  All of these are good things.  I'll try to capture this on video.

Once we start bolting the door, you're going to be very unhappy.  I'd love to let it be for a bit so you can enjoy practicing your new trick, but it's probably best to be safe.

You've really turned the corner with your signing.  You understand that the gestures we're using with words are important and have meaning, and you now try to copy them promptly, just as kids do with spoken words.  You spontaneously signed "friend" for your Oliver a few days ago when I had you on the exercise ball.  You pointed to him, and then did the cutest little twisty twist of your hands with a finger out to sign friend.  At first I didn't understand, but then realized you were using the "friend" sign for Oliver, which is what we'd been doing to teach you a sign for him.  I was thrilled.

Today I realized that you are pressing three fingers to your mouth for "water" which is similar.  You were very particular today pointing and asking for your drink that had water in it.  And then you used that gesture.

So now the challenge for us is to give you new signs as fast as you're picking them up.  It's great to have ways of communicating with you.

Also, today you made a giant burp, and thought it was funny when mommy kept making burp noises back at you.  You laughed and laughed.

Yes!

You are having a bit of a breakthrough in communication.  Your signing is getting faster and more consistent, and it's possible you're saying "more" (which comes out as "mo!").  Tonight at dinner you pointed to the multi colored daisies on mom's desk.  You like the flowers.  So I signed to you asking if you wanted a "flower" (which you know the sign for).  You answered with a big dramatic nod of the head for "yes", and then signed for flower.  SO I brought you the flowers.  We did this many times, each time with me giving you fewer cues.  Eventually, i asked what you wanted, and you signed for flower.

You're alo doing a very good job using "yes" to reply in the affirmative for things, though ususally you do it when we've done what you want, notin response to a question, but that's coming along, too.

It's so nice to be able to communicate with you, and I can see how happy yu are in being able to get what you want more easily by signing. I think you're getting that things and ideas have sign symbols, and you can use them to communicate. 

I'm going to teach you the sign for "beer" next.

I loved back yard camping with you.