LANGUAGE ARTS.

Further has become very fond of my keyboard and iPad. It's rather maddening. And it's also completely my fault. Since he was young I've let him play with the portable keyboard because he loves to turn the caps lock light on and off (I mean, who doesn't?). Now, however, he's bigger and stronger and just as content to slam the keyboard with his fists, or summon poor Siri on the iPad by holding down the screen button.Am I sad that he's playing with this device so early? A little, yeah. But this is unavoidable to some extent. This device is an important tool for me––one of the only ways this blog exists, in fact––so there's no real way around it for the time being: Further will not own one until he's much older, but he will grow up around this device.At the same time, I like to think he will see how we use it and want to imitate. That is, I hope, whether he wants to be a writer or not, that he will make writing part of his life, or at least––like his papa––part of his routine. And there are other reasons I'm okay with it.We've been teaching Further some (very rudimentary) sign language since he was born. And it has actually been rather effective. He knows the sign for typing, and he'll show it to me when he wants to type, which makes my heart leap a bit. He also has learned the sign for "rain", "again", "more", and his favorite, "milk." Now, they all kind of look the same, but he uses them at the right times, which is a good start. We're communicating, and it blows my mind every time he waves his little hands and asks to type. So naturally, even though it's not the best thing for this valuable piece of equipment, I set him on my lap and watch him slam my keyboard and think, "Man, isn't language something?"- Jesse.