Lucas and Asher have the whole. week. off.  I don't like it when Lucas and Asher have the whole week off. But there's nothing I can do about it. Still, tomorrow starts Ian's break, and that part I like a lot. Last Thanksgiving we took a vacation to Bodega Bay. Conserving cash is important right now. So this year, we're staying home and celebrating ( Read more... )

Scene: Nursing Asher in my bed, clothes on but rumpled.

Asher: (signing) milk good! "Nom, nom!"
Me: "Mama milk is good?"
Asher: (grinning) "Yeah! Nom, nom, nom."

Dad continues to recover well. It's a slow process. Tuesdays and Thursdays are Mom's long work days, so it’s a long day alone for Dad. Some things we just didn't anticipate: We arranged for my friend Cate to cook for Mom and Dad this month. She's bringing two meals for four people every week. My parents say they are eating Cate's delicious food ( Read more... )

For the last month or so, we have been trying to teach Asher to say "Obama." Although he can say each of the syllables, he is resistant to our Reindeer Games.

Say, "Oh!"
"Oh."
Say, "Bah!"
"Bah!"
Say, "Mah!"
"Mah!"
Say, "Oh - Bah - Mah!"
Nevertheless, the child clearly recognizes Obama all the time. We watched all of the debates on TV, the ( Read more... )

It appears that Asher has a name for Lucas now: "Bobby." I think it's his approximation of "brother," and it totally cracks me up. Lucas was hoping to be called "Bubba," but it seems Asher has a different idea.

Also, Asher is now saying "Mommy" and "Daddy," with very clear "ee" sounds at the end, in addition to "Mama" and "Dada." We think he is ( Read more... )

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He's so clever! Continuing the list of signs Asher knows from previous posts here and  here   ...

28. grandma
29. shoes
30. music
31. airplane

(Also, his sign for flower, which I listed before, has now improved to include the ASL sign instead of just sniffing.) 

 Asher has added the following signs to his growing repertoire: 
24. lion
25. cat
26. mouse
27. car

Asher's nighttime sleeping is going pretty good. He's staying in his crib most nights from bedtime until about 3:30 a.m., but I'm noticing some backsliding. Like, he used to stay there until 5:30, then 4:30. Now 3:30 a.m.

Let's pause for dramatic effect, ( Read more... )

Asher's signing is really blooming now. He's picking up the signs we teach him much faster. He knows and uses these:

1. more (used also to mean “I want” with pointing)
2. eat
3. meat
4. milk (used rarely)
5. hat

If you're a grammar geek or you love one, read "A Crusade to Edit America" by Danny Westneat. It just might make you laugh. It will definitely make you cringe.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2004367117_danny23.html