The sign for ‘yes’

J-Man uses very few words, and most of those are his version of them. One on-target area of his development for a two-year-old is the ability to say ‘no’. Generally, it comes out ‘nah-nah’, but you don’t need a speech therapist to figure that one out. He’ll occasionally throw in some head-shaking for good measure.

Admittedly, he does tend to say it after we tell him to stop doing something he really wants to do - like trying to erase programs off of our DVR - and often includes some devious grinning to let us know that his inner-stinker is alive and well.

‘Yes’ involves sounds he currently can’t make. He doesn’t ever nod his head either, and sign language is pretty much on par with Sanskrit for him at this point. But he’s learned to compensate with various other forms of basic communication, at least to get across the most essential stuff. This is particularly true for anything he REALLY wants to do, which includes anything outside (spelled O-U-T in all adult conversations in our house) and anything related to Signing Time or Wonder Pets.

This is a new one, though, and it gets me every time.

Me: Do you want to go out in the stroller and walk with me?

J: *kiss*

Me: *reflects on how cool it is to be a dad*

So, he responds affirmatively in the most affirming way he knows how. How cool is that?