Language Explosion

There is definitely some language acquisition happening here at the Beatty home. Manny's circle at school has begun hand-spelling, so well now that after the first 3 or 4 letters, they can identify which classmate's name is being spelled. Manny has really taken to the Bob Books, which are so simple his confidince is really high. We have his cousins' well-worn phonics sound chart and with the exception of a few vowels, he is totally reading. It is so gratifying, witnessing the light go on for him. He will walk by the sign with a nonchalant swagger, "It says, clean up after your dog." Or "There's ANOTHER poster for 'Happy Feet."
As for the wee-lady of the house, she is doing what I remember blogging about Manny doing: babbling this whole stream of syllables and then wading in it and finding the nuggets of actual meaning. Today she called up the stairs, "Dada? Baba, Brothers." And of course, her first sentence with fuzzy cell phone pressed into her neck, "Hi, yeah, okay." My favorite is when she goes around the room chatting and gesturing. If you are sitting on the floor, she will walk over to you, bend at the waist, and peer into your face and then offer you a sloppy, delicious kiss OR she will tilt her head inquisitively and say "Apapa, kay, abba." as if by saying that she has set the record straight. You just want to say, "Yes, uh huh, absolutely. Michiko Kakatani could not have said it better."