Thursday, August 12, 2010

The Tomato Post -- that wasn't. Or, About a boy and his words.

So, I'll bet you thought this post was going to be about how we to took that gazillion pounds of tomatoes and handily whipped up giant batches of sauce and salsa that will keep us going all winter, right? Um, yeah. Well,  instead, it is about how I begin to hyperventilate every time I go near the kitchen and catch a sight of these angry veggies staring back at me:

What was I thinking? And there is at least that much again on the vine outside. I ought to have my head examined! Clearly I am a warped individual.

But instead of persevarating on the tomatoes, I'll tell you a nice little story about a mostly non-verbal little boy. Oliver, it seems is figuring out this communication thing. And it is happening in great, giant, delicious bursts. Full sentences like: "I want to sit here. Get up." and "Sami, I want to draw pictures." and, "Papi, can I have a quarter?" And my personal favorite (said while handing me a plate full of green beans): "I don't want to eat this. I want chips with cheese."

All of Oliver's words and sentences are said slowly, with space in between the words, in which I imagine the words and the sounds traveling some complicated neural backwoods road. But they are finding their way out and he is making himself understood. For a boy of almost eight, a boy who once could not produce a single word, it feels like we are nearing some mountaintop of achievement.

It makes me think anything is possible. And that, my friends, is a very nice feeling.


13 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:37 AM

    So much about this makes me smile. Oliver and his words, those beautiful tomatoes--I have no doubt that you are headed to the top of the mountain!

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  2. Wow, so wonderful! I grinned reading this, and I had to laugh at all the tomatoes! We have 10 tomato plants this year and I too wondered what we were thinking!

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  3. "It makes me think anything is possible. And that, my friends, is a very nice feeling." Even making a zillion jars of sauce/salsa??!! :P

    I am sop happy for you all regarding Oliver's speech, really wonderful. And the sentences you give as examples, all meaningful stuff!!!!

    KEEP GOING OLIVER!!!!!!!! WHOOP!!

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  4. I love those sentences. LOVE them!

    Send some of those tomatoes over? We love them (but not for canning).

    xo

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  5. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face today -- with both the Oliver story and the photo of all the tomatoes!

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  6. Yep, weeping over here. Big, fat, hot, wet tears of joy and understanding. And you, my dear, make a most excellent sherpa as your boy climbs and climbs. Higher than Everest. xo

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  7. Anonymous5:29 PM

    Yay Oliver! Your happiness is palpable.

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  8. Beautiful! So wonderful to hear about his language! And um, that's a LOT of tomatoes :)

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  9. That is wonderful news -- and I love your hopeful, exuberant feeling. :-)

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  10. Today is my birthday, and this was the perfect post to start it off. <3 anything IS possible. <3

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  11. Oh, wow! Love hearing about those amazing sentences!! And good luck with all those tomatoes!

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  12. So exciting! He must be thrilled to be saying all that. And there isn't even a word for how you must feel.

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