Speaking of Childish Delight

I spent some time with my favourite 15 month old yesterday. Last week we had been reading books together and I really hadn't paid too much  attention to his choice of books but yesterday. his mom was there and she mentioned that Baby Sign was his favourite book  and so he and I played "sign"as we went through the little book twice, and then again- repeat .

I was bored by that time and was hoping to have more adult conversation as this was not a one on one with the lad but had been  intended as a visit with Mom interspersed with periods of boy-time. He had other ideas and after we once again  very cutely signed our way through  drink, hot, finish, apple, bannana I tried to move onto other toys. The little man had other thoughts  and continued to sign more to me.  How could I not ! We worked our way through the book again several times.

Baby sign is not only incredibly cute it is very useful ! Allowing a non verbal child to convey his needs, desires and wants is a brilliant idea!  I can imagine the frustration that could have been avoided for my own sons had  I been aware if this system when they were small. Now if only I'd of had the presence of mind to sign finish back at him when he was insisting on more !

Here is a link I located if you are interested in knowing a little more about baby sign language.
http://www.babysignlanguage.com/chart/

I don't remember growing older . . .

I remember him from the Friday morning play group.

A tiny boy my mother would have called sturdy. He toddled about the musty church basement brought by his care giver and trailed by his adoring older sister Sarah, Sarah with the Sparkly Eyes as she was dubbed by my eldest- to differentiate her from all the lesser Sarah's of the preschool and primary galaxy.
Even then, his face was sprinkled with sun kisses. He laughed easily and made me smile.

A few years later I was his "morning mom" and he and my younger son, for a time, became fast friends. His silly sense of humor, flashes of brilliance and mischievousness made the mornings race past as we waited for kindergarten. The after school antics of the four kids made the arsenic hour a foreign concept.


Time passed and before and after school care was no longer a requirement, but for a time I was Tic Tac to his Beaver group. Then one day I stopped in at my favourite dry cleaners and I was personally greeted by a young man with side burns and the unmistakable sun kissed smile- my own children had matured but how was this possible?

A few chance encounters with his parents kept me aware of his, and his sister's, travels and then this weekend again I bumped into them. "Jamie is in London" they said so casually. "He decided to get his Law degree."

Well done Munchkin! I can't believe it has been that long since you ate apple wedges at my table. I am very proud of you, as your own parents must be.