Clapping

We're back after a spectacular weekend in Salt Lake City. Rather than write a paragraph of vacation minutiae for you to skim or skip, let's just jump to what Lyla did while we were gone.

She clapped her hands. Well, sort of. Does clapping require sound, or is the motion what matters? If a baby claps and nobody hears it, does the tree in the forest still...I forgot where I was going with that. Auntie Jodie, who is preggers with Lyla's first cousin, stayed at our house along with Grandma Jackie. Somehow, a game of patty-cake ensued. And Lyla participated.

That's big. Every time I've tried to encourage Lyla's hands to jubilantly make contact with one another, she has resisted and given me her "What the hell?" look. And now she silent-claps without provocation. By next Tuesday she'll be giving standing ovations.

Lyla also shakes her head no when someone tells her no and shakes their head. For instance, when Lyla grabbed the remote control off the table and crammed it in her mouth, Grandma Jackie said "Nooooo" and shook her head. And Lyla shook hers, too. Nice. This will be a polite, obedient child who does not eat electronics.

The day a fun trip ends is usually depressing, but not so much this time.