Signs of Language

We started sign language classes this week. Last summer, I had gotten Ella excited about possibly starting sign language because I saw how graceful she was with her hands, how expressive, and that idea really appealed to her. Plus, with Dario's hearing problem and Tatiana's plans eventually to find *him* a class so he has that extra dimension of communication, it would be cool for him to have people he loves to converse with. At least a little.

So the class I found for Ella is for ages 3-5. It's on Tuesday night at 5:30, which is a bad time so there was only one other kid in the class, another 5-year-old. So the director invited Madison to join, too, and she did. And I did. Apparently, the moms participate in this class. Which turned out to be a good thing, because it means I can practice with the kids.

It really jazzed them, and I am amazed at how fast they have learned. The stuff really sticks. They know (really know) the numbers up to 10; the colors red, blue, pink, yellow, orange, white; the words to "No more monkeys jumping on the bed"; the words snowman, shark, water, sun, orange, heart, apple; and most of the letters of the alphabet. I found it easy, too. They got these little books "My first signs" which I have incorporated into school a few days. The class is six weeks long and I think we'll take the next level, too, and then figure out where to go from there.


This morning, the girls have pottery while I have drawing. I am finding the drawing class absolutely fascinating; it's a "Drawing in the Galleries" class, which has us copying paintings or sculpture or what have you. I know this may sound really mundane, but what makes it fascinating to me is simply that I can do it. As a kid, I really couldn't. I always considered myself a non-artist. I can't picture things in my head, I can't remember details, and I'm so much more math-and-sciencey than artsy. But just as some good verbal instructions last year sent me just sailing into acrylics painting, this instructor at the Memorial Art Gallery gave some general technique instructions to the class, and some specific comments to each of us when she saw what we were doing, and away I went. This adult brain is really useful. I'll try to scan my cow from a Sorroyo painting. I'm really proud of that cow.