Double Double Sign Sign
Liz wrote a while ago about the whole “My child is smart” phenomenon.
(My opinion? They’re all smart in different ways and it’s a parent’s right to brag a little, as long as it’s within reason and you’re not doing it to show up another mother. Don’t be a competi-mama. Ya gots ta give her a chance to brag too. Equal opportunity bragging. Support each other in your childrens’ brilliance.)
Speaking of bragging? The boy put two signs together this morning for the first time ever! He signed “More” + “Milk” and it was way freaking cool. It might have been a total fluke, but it was cool.
I found a great ASL browser online – WAY more signs than we’d ever use so they probably have everything you’d want. I wanted one that hadn’t modified the signs for kids (he does that on his own anyway) and that has video for every sign. It’s not a pretty site, but it’s very functional!
He also took 2 more steps today. For anyone keeping track, that’s 4 over the course of his lifetime. 
And apparently, he’s too sick to take a nap. (video link)
We got my van fixed this morning. On Sunday the power steering hose had popped off because it still had the crappy factory crimped hose clamp on it, so we just popped it back on and put a better clamp on. And I say ‘we’ meaning ‘some guy with greasy hands’, but I was a very helpful observer. I basically said, over and over again, “Can you do that any faster? My husband has to leave on a business trip.” The clamp had frayed the belt, blah blah blah, so I got the belt changed today and the tires rotated etc and now we’re all set for all those summer trips we can’t afford.
Thanks be to God that the BG is coming home tomorrow, for more reasons than that we really miss him ~ I had to take the garbage out tonight – his job – and our big outdoor garbage can smells like day old hot ass. That’s man’s work. Everything smelly should be man’s work, don’t you think?
April 25th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Never did signs with Becca and not sure with moving and all that jazz I will work it in with Ethan … Totally cool that Rylan signed two together!!
I agree that every kid is smarter different. Becca is amazing at looking at books, but most kids can out jump her (is is just learning to jump! Darn vision problems last summer!)
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April 25th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Wow, that’s great! I can’t wait until my baby signs to me. I know he’s too young right now, but I sign a few words anyway.
My husband gets all the stinky jobs….
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April 25th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Yay Rylan! That is so exciting when they start putting signs together! I’ve had that ASL site bookmarked for a couple years now and I really like it too -the video clips sure help!
Speaking of videos I couldn’t get the one to play that you posted; but I’ll try again later!
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April 25th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
We did baby sign and it was a life saver. Viv had 19 ear infections by the time she was 2, so she was not hearing properly. If we had not done baby sigh life would have been very frustrating, and yes I think there are pink jobs and blue jobs and everything I don’t want to do he has too.
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April 26th, 2007 at 8:06 am
I love the video. It’s almost like being there, but not quite!
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April 26th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Love the video … you know, I (cough cough) may be coming down with the same thing that R has … I should probably leave work so I don’t spread it…
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April 26th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Hi there! I found you through a comment you left on BooMama’s blog.
First of all, hooray for Rylan putting 2 signs together. That’s so neat! When we were teaching our son (now 2) sign language, he used to do modified versions as well, or create his own brand new sign.
As for the “My child is smart†phenomenon, I sometimes have the opposite problem of competiveness with other moms. I have a couple of friends that will ask me what Snuggle Bug is doing and then bemoan the fact that their child isn’t doing those things yet. It’s like they’re comparing their child to mine and finding their child lacking. Talk about feeling uncomfortable! I find myself going out of my way to minimize my son’s accomplishments for fear of upsetting someone.
I do make up for it though. Each month I send out an update email to all our family and many extended friends. In this email I shamelessly brag about what Snuggle Bug is accomplishing and I share pictures. Everyone seems to love the update emails (I’ve been doing them since he was a newborn).
I agree with your statement of “Support each other in your childrens’ brilliance.”
Now, would you be so kind as to tell me how to put LINKS to your videos in a post, rather than having to have the video itself show up? That’s a pretty neat trick.
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April 26th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Hey, I just watched the video (it took my computer a while to download). Rylan is so cute! Apparently he wasn’t sleepy.
I do believe we have the same crib, only Snuggle Bug isn’t using it anymore. He’s in a toddler bed now and the crib is in our guest room, waiting for baby #2 to arrive.
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April 26th, 2007 at 9:43 am
He sure is a cutie. I need to figure out how to post my videos too.
We never signed with my two. I probably should have, but I didn’t have time to learn it and teach it to them too.
Way to go Rylan!
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April 26th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I always had wished I would have taken the time to teach sign to Ethan when he was a baby!! It’s just so neat to see them communicating in that way when they don’t have the words to express their needs.
**Also, I promise you will LOVE those dog tags from Props & Pans that I recommended!!!! Just be sure you get the style that fits the collar you already have. Hope the work well for ya!!
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April 27th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Speaking of competi-mommies …my brother and sister-in-law (who used flash cards and did “homework” with their kids before the went to school) recently said that “Not to sound like I’m bragging or anything, but school is a waste of time for D. She’s way ahead of the other kids.”
Ya. Social skills, Honey. D is in grade two. What do you say to someone like that? God, I hope that she doesn’t tell D how much better she is than the other kids.
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