Say Please

(Hello cord! I see you!)


Before we introduce today's topic - manners - perhaps it must be explained first why Lila is sitting her her toy basket.

If only we knew.

We have a plastic bucket of toys in the living room that is low and wide, and recently she has started climbing into it and throwing toys out. Then I bought this new basket for her kitchen toys at Target today, and as soon as she saw it, she climbed into it too. No reason, I guess, but darn cute.

Moving on...

Aida has been dilligently teaching Lila to use sign language, and this week we really started to see her use it to communicate. "More" and "please" are the ones she's mastered, and though they are rudimentary, she is clearly pleased to get her point across. "Please" is the one we are particularly excited about, because currently even the slightest desire is expressed in a bark of distress, especially when it comes time to read "Pat the Bunny" for the 50th time in a day. It's not a seamless transition to signing, however. Here is the current system:


(1. "EEAAACKKK!" Translation: "Read this to me NOW!"



(2. Daddy: "Can you say 'please?'" Lila signs "please")



(3. Daddy reads the book to Lila)



(4. "EAAACKKK!" Translation: "Read it AGAIN!")

Return to step 2. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat!