Grendel’s Kitchen

One of many fascinating elements of a mixed deaf/hearing group environment is how a joke plays out: first a wave of raucous laughter from the hearing group (if you are lucky and nail the clever quip or punchline), and then a second wave from the deaf group after the ASL translation is carried out a few seconds later. It’s just a small delay, but makes for a very funny dynamic. Of course, if the joke goes flat, it’s twice as disappointing, and you usually can’t react quickly enough to stop the signing in time.Li-Li had her very first day care experience today! John attended the parent-infant program at the Learning Center for Deaf Children in Framingham with her this morning and then they had a trial run at the school’s staff day care center. He had lunch with her along with the other wee ones and Mary Jane — the most wonderful, enthusiastic care giver I’ve every met — and several other care providers, and then left…fearing what happens when we walk out of the room at home: extreme banshee-like wailing. He offered to hide behind the wall, and remain close, but SHE DIDN’T CRY! So he went out for coffee, hanging on to his cellphone, awaiting the Call. He returned during Quiet Time — all were napping. Except Li-Li, who was playing with, or rather, weaving her little spell of charming babyness upon one of the caregivers after waking from a pleasant nap. I was on the phone with John as he came up behind her and whispered “Did she cry? No?!” And then Li-Li turned, saw her Papa and let out a full-scale wail. Poor John — she didn’t want to leave!Did I mention that our little vegetarian now weighs an enormous 21 healthy pounds?