yet another benefit...

we all know there are so many benefits to signing, right?   countless, countless, benefits!  from reducing frustration, to higher vocabulary, to better social skills...the list is endless.

well, just recently, i discovered yet another benefit.  i'm not quite sure how to put it in words, yet, but i will do my best.

i was showing my son a picture of a police car, and i said to him, "look, it's a police car".  he looked at me, and signed "please" and said "please car".  huh.

a couple days later, we were squeezing limes into our water.  and i said, "do you want some lime water".  he looked at me and signed "lion".  alrighty.

what just happened for me, was i got a glimpse into my little guy's head.  i got a chance to understand what he's hearing.  how he understands what i'm saying to him.  sure, the words aren't quite right, but it shows me how what i'm saying gets processed through his little mind.  all these new words.  he takes it in, but has to filter it through what he already has in that little mind of his.  and sometimes it sticks, sometimes it's connected to something else.  whatever happens, had he not had signs, i could easily assume that a) it's going in one ear and out the other  or b) he understands exactly what i'm saying.

however, with his signs, i now realize that it's not just a) or b).  what is sometimes going on is that he does hear what i'm teaching him, but he also is working things out.  so, for right now, in his mind "please cars" drive around, and we drink "lion water."  and as he works it all out in his mind, i'm ok with that :)