Snap! Crackle! Pop!

We finally have Internet!

Pete is currently en route with a moving truck so we should have our things pretty soon. I think my love affair with the aerobed is over and has been for about two weeks -or in other words- the entire time I have been sleeping on it with two squirmy children. My back has been killing me. I slipped on the ice in Charlotte right before we moved and definitely threw myself out of whack. Add that to the car crash on Labor Day and it was definitely time to see a chiropractor.

I joined a local Green Moms meetup and the organizer's husband is a local chiropractor. I was able to get an appointment immediately and I am on my way to feeling better.I haven't been working out which leaves me feeling a bit surly. I am looking forward to getting back on track this week. It looks like I may be run/walking the Cooper Bridge Run in April at this point...we shall see.

I am looking into teaching some My Smart Hands Classes. The founder Laura Berg struck a deal on Dragon's Den recently.

I started a Meetup Group for My Smart hands Charleston Here! Feel free to join so that I am not the only lonely member...LOL. I am currently looking into possible venues to hold classes as well as possibly volunteering to do a class for the library.

Story Time and Benefits of Signing

So I decided we would attend story time at the library this morning and it was a lot of fun. Free fun in this economy is a plus! Additionally, spending some time at the library made me think even more about the benefits of signing with babies and toddlers. It is no secret that I am passionate about signing.

One of the moms noticed that I was signing to Eliza during the program and asked if I did it because Eliza needed it or if I just did it for fun. Her daughter receives speech services and signing was recommend to help reduce frustration. I explained that I just did it for fun and that it really has become a part of our everyday lives. I can't imagine not signing at this point.

Another mom commented on Eliza's vocabulary and once again I explained that I believe signing is at least partially responsible for her success. Eliza probably has about 200 words- probably more- at this point. She is putting more and more words together in different ways everyday. She is a total chatterbox and picks words up quickly and easily. She is extremely confident when it comes to expressing herself. I can't help but attribute her success to ASL.

When you sign with a child you are increasing his/her vocabulary. For example, if you read Brown Bear with your baby you may only say bear, duck, horse etc. one time. If you are reading and signing you will probably say each word three- four times. Not all people learn the same way. I am NOT an auditory learner. You child may be a visual, spatial or tactile learner. If this is the case then signing will empower your baby to communicate and make sense of their world.

It frustrates me endlessly when I hear people say that children who are taught to sign will be lazy when it comes to speaking. This is so untrue! Signing reinforces the use of verbal language. Signing is not some trendy thing to do with your baby. It is a valuable tool in helping your little one communicate. Kids are like sponges and can soak up so much information before age 5 it is unreal. Signing is a fun way (you can sign with songs, finger plays, games, storybooks, audio books) to take advantage of their sponge brains.

I am tempted to volunteer at the library to teach a signing class. I am not sure if they would even want me to volunteer but I feel the need to share this with other moms. It is fun and a great way to bond with your child and I strongly urge you to SIGN WITH YOUR BABY or TODDLER! I haven't had much luck with my baby signs class biz yet-,mainly because I can't seem to find a location. However, I am willing to hold small in home classes. If you are interested in a class (and live in Jersey) please let me know.

This was posted on YouTube yesterday. It is one of E's favorite songs. Laure Berg is the founder of My Smart Hands and is one smart momma!