Hayden is very verbal. He is learning SO MANY new words and very quickly now that all he is hearing is English.
The boys respond to being called Garak and Hayden and are even starting to refer to the other boys as Garak or Hayden. When referring to themselves, they still almost always use "Johnny" or "Benny."
Yesterday Hayden asked to see "Momma Johnny" so we looked at pictures of her and "Momma Benny" and then he asked to GO and see her. I told him it was too far away and he seemed ok with that answer.
When he wants a turn at something that Garak is doing he says it's "Johnny Time"
Also he is much quicker and more coordinated than Garak is so I will often let him dress himself while I dress Garak etc. So he has started regressing to get more attention. "Forgetting" how to do things he's been doing all along so that I have to help him as well etc.
Garak refers to Gramma Brimer as "Mamma Grimer" It is SO adorable!
We were finally able to talk with Katie and Meredith on the phone and Aunt Heather. That was fun!
"papples n peana buddy" is their favorite snack!
much to Momma's delight, Hayden loves to play with language... it's like a dream come true for this ex-language teacher. Once he figures out the correct way to say something he immediately starts inserting other nouns into the phrase to make it funny. It is so cool to watch his mind working at mastering his second language!
:) he exhibits all the traits of a first born, cautious, bossy, manipulative etc.
here's a sweet story:
The boys and I went to a funeral today. A family we know from small group lost their son/brother/uncle [I think he was around 30ish years old]. When it was our turn to go and give hugs to the family I got down on the boys' eye level and explained that "Mommy's friend is crying. So we are going to give hugs and say we are sorry." He wanted to go and say "sorry" to them. So we did and he and Garak gave lots of giggley, snuggley hugs to cheer them up. Hayden made a point of going back to the mother and sister of the deceased, looking them in the eye and telling them "shorry." I am so glad we went. And so was everyone who got a hug (which were most of the people I talked to).
At the funeral Garak was asked to give a "high five" by several people. Later today we went up to the cat and asked for a high five. She obliged him by batting at his hand with her paw! He was too afraid to ask for another but he did get quite a kick out of her response.
