Sitting Around the Table Talking

Last night for whatever reason right after dinner, (nothing special, just pasta & red sauce, fruit salad, and some leftover chicken) we all sat around the table and actually "talked" with LB. The Littlest Buddy is usually in a big hurry to finish up dinner and get started on his bath time, so he usually starts asking to get "down, down, down" as soon as he is "done, done, done." But last night he stayed in his seat and was interested in the questions we were asking him. we were hitting him up with stuff like, what's your favorite show, and would you rather have ice cream or watch Wubbzy? Cole was asking him about the new baby, and what he thought about it, did it make him happy or sad? Did he know where it was? All the cute miracle of life stuff. I just want to know what he thinks about so bad, and I know Cole has been waiting and wondering so much longer then I have. What does he have opinions about? What doesn't he understand? We can't wait to finally get to hear all his questions. So last night was a very small glimpse into what it will be like to finally get to sit around and talk with LB. He has also introduced this little bit into his "super charming" arsenal... where he rests his hands on his cheeks and stares at you in this devastatingly endearing way, and it gets him just about anything in the universe that he wants.

LB has not been able to maneuver his muscles, and form his lips, and get his tongue to do what it needs to do to make sounds come together. To hear him "talk" you might not get what he is trying to say, but he is having so many breakthroughs since we increased his sign language vocabulary, and he started to use his "talking box." The benefits of him being able to communicate more lowers his frustration levels, which allows him to focus and absorb his speech therapy in a much more productive way. The kid just wants to tell us what's on his mind, and the longer he goes without be able to, the angrier he will get. So for us it has become a race to curb his frustrations. He has been showing us so many new sounds and really exercising his voice. Very much like the initial babbling and shouting an infant will do. He likes to hear his own voice and he is being so vocal, our silent house is turning loud from the constant jibber jabber and chaos that you would expect to hear from a 4yr old coming down off a sugar explosion. It is exciting.

So yeah. Last night was terrific and he was pouring it all on. This is a mix of photos to show off all the ways he talks to us. From his little charms, to signs, to new sounds.

Doesn't it look like he is just so interested in what Cole is saying? Really? Tell me more about that.


Dude! Why are you taking my freakin picture?


Introducing the letter "U" one of his new vowels


Signing for "ice cream"


This is getting boring


I'm pretty sure I'm done with your questions.



He is making so many new sounds, and attempts at new words. He is communicating on a higher level than ever before. It is a mix of signs, grunts, pointing, and using the words he can say, and now in the mix is his talking box. Which when I first heard about this contraption, I was convinced it was going to be some tiny black box that he carried, and some sterile robot voice would say shit like: "Do you want to play with me?" It is a simple little machine. It has multiple channels to record different sets of possible wants and wishes, and along with each scenario we have the standard reply of "I don't understand" just in case he needs to figure out wtf we want him to do. Cole took charge of the box and sat down, and made tons of these scenarios for him, knowing that he wants, (and HAS been wanting) to ask and communicate so many things to us, he just hasn't been able to before now. So she sat and scribbled away, sheet after sheet of phrases, and sayings, and requests for LB to arm himself with. He knows how to use the talk box very well, but still blurs the line of it as a toy, and not a tool. He loves repetitive electronic gear so this is like major temptation for him to conquer. The box will be programmed by a 3rd grade boy at his school, so it is a kids voice that we hear, and we slide in the appropriate sheets for separate scenarios like: morning, and dinner time, and bath-time, swimming and play, and just about anything and everything that Cole could think of. It was awesome to see her tackle this project, knowing that she would finally get to know LB on deeper levels.

The Littlest Buddy will be five in August. He has been quiet for so long and she is finally seeing an end to his silence in the future. Makes this old man happy.

This is the talking box


This is the back of the box, super simple control panel



When he gets older I am sure this box will be programmed with hip-hop beats and samples for him to rap over. His mobile studio. Until then, he can use it to talk to us and get a little closer to feeling that calm from the reassurance of asking and receiving answers about the world. Something that we take for granted; because when we don't know what the fuck is up... we just ask? Well, most of us do. There are some stubborn mules out there that just walk around grouchy.

Keep talking LB. You will get there soon.

All the Love in the Universe ~ Me

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