Want

"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. " -Lao Tzu

Maeve is communicating much better with me lately, although it seems to be a single concept: want.  Here are the messages I'm getting:

• Standing in front of me, arms up, whining: Pick me up! I want to see what's up there and be held!
• Book thrust at me, whining: Read it to me! Read it to me again!
• Juice cup pounding on the coffee table, whining: I want more juice!
• Wild wriggling and whining: I'm done with this hug!
• Knocking on bedroom door, whining: Mom, let's play in here! I wanna get cookie goo on your belongings!

Do you see the thread binding these communications together?  Oh yes, the whine.  It's a constant part of my life now, but I'm trying to be grateful in that it's a form of communication.  She might not get what she wants, but these days, I certainly know what it is she wants.

And I'm proud to report that yesterday Maeve signed her first word to me: All done!  She's kept it up since then, so I think she really gets it.  It was nice this morning when she told me she was all done with her breakfast, so I put the rest in the fridge. It feels like we're making progress.

Wanna drum.