Talk to the hand

Nora has been adding words at a pace that has probably outstripped our blog entries, as well as maintaining the few baby signs we taught her, which included eat, more, and nurse. But she's malcontent simply amassing words-- it seems she is also inventing her own sign language. One interesting sign she created was for washing hands, described in an earlier post. Today's invented sign is what our family knows somewhat affectionately as "the hand," or, as Granny so succinctly puts it, "Up yours."

We get this sign from Nora when she's finished with something. She pushes us away summarily using the back of her regal hand. Don't want any more bagel? Give 'em "the hand." Finished with the toothbrush? Use "the hand!" In the photo at left, she actually knocked food out of my fingertips with "the hand."

It's fairly clear from context that she is not only finished with the item at hand, if you'll pardon the expression-- she's actually moderately insulted that you deigned to offer more. "The hand" is usually accompanied by a self-assured "Uh-uh!" but speech does nothing to soften the nonverbal cue. How many months away do you suppose we are from "No, thanks"?