Words of Gold

Language has been Wade's biggest hurdle in this world.  He easily reads other people's words and observes people and listens to conversations with almost the close attention to detail that a deaf person might exhibit.  But piecing together words to make sentences of his own has been difficult and evasive.

That's why my listening pleasure knows no bounds when I hear him expressing original thoughts that can actually be understood.

"I make house of sticks for Eeyore!"

"I like snuggle with Mommy." 

"Randall, I want my toast.  At 15 o'clock!"

"Toe hurts.  Need rubber band!"

Lately he's been picking up language and expressions with much greater ease.  At the dentist's office this fall, he danced in front of a funny mirror with another little boy who kept exclaiming, "Oh my gosh!"  Wade remembered to use that expression liberally the rest of the day and then appeared to have forgotten it.  Until last night when Nevin gave him a piggy back ride to bed.  And Wade said suddenly and very clearly, "Oh my gosh!"

Among his favorite books to read are my large collection of old readers.  Today he must have been taking notes on the formal greetings of long-ago families during his early morning reading.

He greeted us at 6:45.  "Good morning, Mother!  Good morning, Father!"

He said good-by to the speech therapist.  "Good-bye, Sara Brown!"

And then I took my polite little boy to the library.  We checked out our books and the librarian told him good-bye.   He answered cheerfully, "Good-bye, Porky Bob!"

And I'm prouder than the parent of an honor student at how hard we've worked to get the language to be this disrespectful.