our lil mime actor

i'm pleasantly surprised by the benefits of sign language, even my parents have cottoned on to the advantages of a toddler being able to express himself - he hardly cries because he can actually tell us what he wants with his hands and eyes, and by making lots of expressive sounds. recently, he has also invented new signs for the things he wants but can't say - - e.g. for crayons and pens - he signs with his hand how we would sign to waiters asking for a bill - you know, like clutching a pen and signing something. yesterday he told me that he wanted something on the desk by vigorously blinking his eyes and then putting his hands in front of them. When i figured out that he meant the camera, he was quite delighted. And of course, he never fails to tell me when he wants his milk - now that sign he is very proficient in making. in fact, i have a suspicion that he's now jus making the "milk" sign for fun, rather than when he really needs the breast. My mom calls the breast his opium. it's true - when you occupy him with things to do, he never asks for "milk" but once i am alone with him and he is not doing something, he leaps onto me, signing vigorously for milk. i try not to oblige but when the lil bugger actually adds on a sign that looks like "please" how can i say NO? haha.....see, We've trying to get him to sign "please" and "thank you" - by doing it ourselves whenever we ask him to do something - so must lead by example right....

anyways, a quick update of what he can say now (more for my own benefit as i haven't been keeping a real journal)

Truck - - says "tuck"
buckle - says "tiak"
car - - goes "booo booo"
thunder --- goes "brrrooom" with fingers in the air
cat --- says "mao" - his first chinese word!

***funniest****
"OH NO..." - - yes yes, he actually says that... with a really nasal accent that totally mimics my dad. it's super hilarious cos my dad always go, "oh no, no no no" with Val


other gibberish
wawabu -- we suspect it's from a chinese song he often listens to "wa wa bing" (meaning toy soldiers)
papuji - - we suspect it's mimicking my mom going "pua pua si" (fall to death) in hokkien when she chides him for spilling water on the floor cos it could make her fall to her death


no videos or pictures to show cos i've been a lazy photographer... and also the fact that it's close to impossible to snap him in action - because the moment i whip out the camera, he forgets everything else and leaps towards it.