ASL

ASL-
and no i don't mean age, sex, location!!! I mean American Sign language... yes.. finally after 3 years of dating and a lot lot lot of frustration with spoken communication and fights that often end in silent anger and tears and slamming doors oooh now im thinking of Taylor Swift- "our song".

So Monday nights are usually family nights with the kids where we watch a movie or hang out with the kids- as a mom i am always hanging out with the kids but on this night daddy joins in and we have lots of squeals and laughing and running around.  Nothing feels as good as a house full of love.

Tonight after a rough weekend and a lot of frustration-I sat down with Andy and started lesson 1 of 30 lessons expecting it would take about 4 months at least... but we found we were having so much fun that I'm really enjoying teaching andy.  Andy is picking it up fairly quickly and Vincent Enjoys the fact Dad is learning how to sign too and even got to show off some signing of his own that Dad didn't know and learned.  Andy had commented that he wants to shoot for 2 lessons a week and try to learn as much so he can expand on the rest after lessons are done.  We will see.  This lesson plan we are following now has about 250-300 MOST commonly used words in the english language (yes there is such a thing!) So I am expecting Andy to be able to sign in proper sentences and use facial expression by the end.  Right now it is all fun and giggles.  I have been working very hard at teaching vincent ASL and he has picked it up fairly well.  Yesterday- I taught him Where since he is always asking (like a typical man!) where is _____________.  He is also learning how to say Please (he can say it perfectly now) and im trying to teach him hand over hand thank you.  He seems to have a challenge with that one-I wonder because he doesn't really understand what it means.  Vincent knows pretty much about 10-15 animal signs. he also likes to sign Star.  Andy was Amazed at how much he knew already and I told andy- that is what I do all day everyday is work on vincents vocab and work on fun games related to signing and just old fashioned playing.  
It seems like.. Andy is finally understanding what I do all day during the week since he is not here so much to see for himself but it is much different from the weekend that we do- do things.  I am much more relaxed over the weekend.  During the week- it is like school.  Vincent is learning all day long basically at 2 years old- learning how to sign, and attempting to talk.. and express himself approipately ( we still have a long way to go with that one)
 I absoutely enjoy learning.. but it is so much fun spending time with my family and just chatting.  Andy and I spent about a good hour after the lesson just chatting.  I hope that it stays that way and it opens up lines of communication.. maybe there won't be slamming doors and FOOOK YOU all over the place... we should see.