What I like right now...

[dwenius]

When I get home from work these days, Rose is usually sitting somewhere in the living room, playing while dinner is being prepared. As soon as I walk in, she drops her toy, rolls onto her hands and knees, and charges full speed towards me, head down, so she can say hello. Ok, not "hello" as such. But it usually goes something like this:

[Pulling herself upright by pant leg] Rose: "Ahhh bah bah bah beee! Nuuu wah! eh?!"
[Picking her up] Me: "Hi Rosie, I'm happy to see you too!"
Rose: "Ah. Ah, ah, ah!" [Flapping arms like a penguin].
Me: "Bbbb. Plbbbbt. Bb-bub-bub-bub-bbbbbb." [As Rosie flicks her fingers across my lips in the classic manner].
Rose: "[cackles madly]"

Also, just to revisit a favorite topic, anyone who tells you your 6, 8, 10 month old isn't trying to talk, with full intention, is absolutely, tragically wrong. A few nights ago, Rosie was sitting on the floor over near the bookshelves, and found a (god help me) Elmo book with a push-button light-up moon on it. She picked it up, turned towards me, held it over her head, and said very clearly "Booo! Reeee! Reee Boo Bah Bah!" I'm no dummy, I asked her "You want papa to read the book to you?" and she did the smiling flapping thing. I mean, what other validation do you need? So we cuddled up on the reading chair. She kind of understands that "reading" means sitting next to someone and turning pages. The whole "page one through page N in order front to back in one direction" thing, though, not so much :) Still, she sat mostly quietly and slapped pages back and forth until we got to the "end", and only then tried to throw herself headfirst off the chair. Whee!

Comments

[megasus4.livejournal.com]

I very much look forward to Keira making noises that are not cries or pterodactl impressions. She did get a new cry this week that sounds like "nnng-gi!" that seems to mean "hungry," but that's probably coincidence. :)

[dwenius.livejournal.com]

No, No, it's not! They have distinct need-based cries almost immediately!

Trust your instinct and go ahead and imagine impossible things. If you respond to the nnnn-gi cry with food all the time, she'll keep making it. Then all you have to do is differentiate between "WAAAAAAH!" = I'm tired and "WEEEEEAAAAUUUUGH!!" = I'm soiled, and you're all set. This trick worked for all of our kids to one extent or another. But if you treat all cries the same (check diaper, then feed, then try to put to sleep) she'll stop trying to make the cries different.

or so I believe :)

[dwenius.livejournal.com]

Not coincidence, is what I meant.

[megasus4.livejournal.com]

I just meant that it's cooincidence that "nnng-gi!" sounds like "hungry."

Sadly, I have been unable to distinguish other cries.

[sequentialscott.livejournal.com]

(god help me) Elmo

Elmo, I can handle. We were a total non-Barney household, with one exception: diapers. We figured that was an acceptable way to use Barney. (And then only once.)

Mason's son is a year and a few months, and he's very close to talking. His one word is "Dah!" which means everything from "Dad" to "Would you please explain superstring theory to me?" He's very emphatic with it, though.

[dwenius.livejournal.com]

I cannot handle any of it, really, but I grit my teeth. Nina liked Barney, nothing I can do about it. Calvin adores the Little Einstein series, so we sadly give some money to the Mouse. Mind you, when he runs around singing "Ode to Joy" because it's featured in a LE episode, that's ok, but when he sings the stupid, made-up, buggy-wuggy lyrics instead of just yelling la-la-la-la-la-la etc. it does tend to pick at my one remaining nerve.

Elmo, on the other hand, signifies everything wrong about modern Sesame Street to me, and he gets the most opprobrium as a result.

So I make sure that classic Looney Tunes and Schoolhouse Rock are at the top of the stack. I have the Electric Company too, but that's gotten a lukewarm reception so far by everyone except me.

[sequentialscott.livejournal.com]

Let's see if this works. My friend leemoyer is an artist and illustrator, and this was one of his:



I'm not a fan of Elmo, mind you, but he doesn't grate on me the way Barney does. You might also like the "Little Lit" books - experimental comics for kids, edited by Art Spiegelman. http://www.little-lit.com/

Subversiveness, kiddy style. :)

[cda.livejournal.com]

it's the best innit?

[dwenius.livejournal.com]

Nothing better.

[dr-strych9.livejournal.com]

Leo may sound to you like he's trying to talk. I'm not convinced. He's clearly trying to sing, but I'm not sure there is any conscious attempt to communicate with spoken words. (We're pretty sure he's trying to communicate with gestures, on the other hand. That helps.)

If you come over to the Station, be advised that at some point, you will witness a spontaneous reënactment of scenes from The Dark Crystal as our entire family breaks into a prolonged voice chorus. (Leo has surprising lung capacity, and he can hold a single note for a shocking length of time.)