Language log: signs for train, car, dance

Signing continues to be Kelton's best way to share his thoughts with us. He learned the sign for the train (like pulling on the whistle chain). He sees the train at his playground, but from his signing we know he associates it with the sound we can sometimes hear from home, and the train pictures in his books, and even a song with a train whistle that he likes to dance to.

Lisa taught him the sign for car, which is like turning a steering wheel, but in his rendition both hands go up and down at the same time. It seems to work for getting into the car, and also for walking up close to any car, say in a neighbor's driveway.

Dancing continues to be a favorite activity. I thought my sign for that (arms shaped like a cradle) wasn't getting through since he's always so desperate to be picked up he seemed only annoyed at my signing diversion, but after a week or so he started doing it. Today we even got "down, dance" in sign.

He remains fascinated with lights of all kinds, and now the traffic light at the corner provides a new form of illuminated fascination. When Nana and Papa were here he got to do a lot of staring at the light as it cycled through its colors, and he tried to figure out how it was connected with the cars stopping and going. The traffic light gets the same sign as other lights (opening and closing fist facing outward).