filters

Martin has started paying attention to our conversations. Unlike most parents, who have to start filtering what they say much earlier, we've not needed to worry that Martin will repeat something we wish he wouldn't or that he'd overhear a more mature conversation. For years, Martin has been in the same room with us and has simply tuned out conversations about housecleaning, money, church, whatever.

Recently, we've noticed that Martin is listening and understanding. In one of our countless conversations about what we should do about Martin's schooling, Martin told my husband and I that he would like to go to "his school." We weren't talking to him or asking him what he wanted. But he heard us discussing our various options and piped in with his opinion. Sometimes, he contributes total gibberish. When we talk about going to the grocery store, he might say that's he's going to the store and he'll get a "something of the something." Part of the sentence makes sense, then things break down for him. But he doesn't want to stop talking, so he puts a little flourish on the end, hoping it makes sense.

More often now, we get more sense and less gibberish. This means that my husband and I must start using the filter that other parents have been using for years. And it means we can actually ask Martin complex questions. He clearly has an opinion about going to school.

Like other parents, I get to start discerning between sense and nonsense. It all used to be gibberish. But now it's about 50-50. So Martin has told me he wants to go to school. He also told me that he wants to turn into a rabbit.