Baby Signs

I've noticed a bit of a movement goin on amongst our youngest. Babies are SIGNING! This is really exciting, finally, some deaf awareness going on (or thats what I would think). You know, something that can benefit everyone. People learning sign language is a great step towards welcoming the deaf into our culture, and...our precious ones are learning to communicate with us earlier than they would if we waited on those vocal cords to fully develop. Everybody wins, right?

Well, not exactly... I've seen a really sad development in this sort of education. We're dumbing down the language (and there for sending a very strong, and hurtful message to the deaf).  In order to try and make it more "palatable" for the little ones, we're teaching wrong signs.

If a child says "baba" instead of "bottle" we don't usually correct them, but we also don't just start teaching them "baba" because we think it will be too hard for them to say "bottle". We model the right word and eventually they get it. I would never expect my children to sign everything right all the time, but just because they can't do the perfect "more" sign doesn't mean that they don't understand it and it also doesn't mean that they'll never be able to sign it right.

Some might say that it's not about the deaf, they just want to communicate with their baby. Sometimes you're just trying to raise your family. I so understand that! The thing is, Sign language belongs to the deaf culture, just as English belongs to our culture. And in the same way that we would not like it if some one was purposing teaching wrong English to their child, the deaf are hurt by the fact that we, as a whole, don't value them enough to teach our children their real language.

I, do know, some of you are really wanting to teach your children accurate signs, but don't know the language yourself. Good news! I have a great resource (http://www.signsforintelligence.com) for you, and the whole program is taught by a deaf woman, so not only will you be doing something great for your baby (and yourself), you will also be supporting the deaf community.  Now that truly is a win, win

Hiking, Camping, & Sailing... oh my!

Hiking

went on a 7 mile hike 1/2 was straight uphill (seriously, with steps and all.... could barely walk for the next few days) with Dan and the girlies.  They loved all the water!

[photo by Danny]

And this little girl hiked for almost 2 miles of it... all up hill! Dude, I'm so impressed.

Camping

[photo by Danny]

[photo by Danny]

Haven't been sense we started procreating (minus the one time some weeks ago in Mexico, but I'm not sure it counts because they had showers and a water park)... so glad it's back in our lives.  My favorite thing to do is watch those girls covered in soot, sap, bug bites, and scratches enjoy themselves, just as I did as a youngling, in the great outdoors.  This is the part of child raising that I had dreamed of all of my adult life... this is what I have longed to give my children.  I'm so happy that it was a success! Sati even cried when we left and said as we arrived at our front door, "I don't want to go in my house".  Oh what I've give to really be able to raise them outside all year long.

Sailing

We were a little nervous about taking our camera aboard so this is the only picture that we got of the boat.  I wasn't sure what I would think.  We've been planning to buy a boat and live life traveling around the World, loving on people as we go, for some time now. But would you believe it, this was our first time to actually go sailing.  It wasn't a big boat but it totally solidified our desire to leave the green and jump into the blue... it was so amazing!!!

[photo by Danny]

{I have no idea why there is that huge gap between the title and the rest of the post, too tired to mess with it anymore tonight... hope you're still able to enjoy}

Nagging Wife / Leaking Faucet