words and signs

Talking with my mom this morning, I realized that Jasper's been signing up a storm. This is thanks, in part at least, to Josie. She learns a sign, then drills him on it until he adds it to his repertoire...which he usually picks up after seeing it just once or twice. Thus far, he's got far more signs than words, but with the recent addition of "mine!" (something Josie didn't learn until at least 2) the words are catching up!

Words:
mama
dada
Jo!
dog
cat (also meows)
mooooo
boo (as in peek-a-)
choo-choo
roars like a lion (very deep and rumbly)
bye-bye
mi(ne)!
vroom (car)
boot
book
hat

Signs:
shakes head no/nods yes
waves, blows kisses goodbye
points
thank you
love
night-night/sleep
diaper
hat
dog
squirrel
duck/bird
horse
mouse
lion
bear
tiger
giraffe
elephant
rhino
monkey
fish
flower
hot
cold
ball
snowman
ornament
Santa
snow/rain
up
star
moon
light
airplane
egg
milk
more

Okay, I'm sure that there are more, and I'll add them once I think of them. At this point, I'm fairly certain that he already knows more signs that Josie did, and he's acquiring words at about the same pace as she did. I'm also surprised that he actually distinguishes between rhinocerouses and elephants, bears and dogs, etc. Like I said before, though, I think Josie's been a real help. Once he learns the 'shower' sign I think we're really done for. We'll all be prunes, since he could spend all day in there :)

We all enjoyed Christmas, snowstorms, travel, Santa, Christmas cookies (by the dozen), homemade ice cream, ornament making, present opening, family, and Charlie Brown. Yes, Charlie Brown. He may be fictional, he may be overwrought with the commercial nature of the holiday, but starting before Thanksgiving, and even in the new year we've been watching and grooving along with the Charlie Brown Christmas movie. We even went out in the blizzard to buy the last copy. Our first kid-movie purchase (followed closely by Curious George, which has Jasper doing the monkey sign nonstop, and dancing to the soundtrack in the kitchen).

More later, once we have pictures!

favorite books: Beatrix Potter, and Richard Scarry's "What Do People Do All Day?" for Josie; any book with animals that he can do the signs for would be Jasper's pick.
favorite music: Jingle Bells!
etc: dutch pancakes with lemon, oatmeal with blueberries (a perennial favorite!), and frozen fruit obtained surreptitiously from the bag in the freezer. Preferably one strawberry would be left on the floor to melt--and perhaps revisit later.