Guess that DVD

So. James decides he wants to watch a DVD this morning. The problem is, it's not a DVD in either of our two DVD cases. He embarks on a spectacular signing extravaganza in order to explain what DVD he wants. He signs what looks like "giraffe" (this is the only sign that I haven't figured out by now). He agrees that it's a giraffe. He signs "signing" (confirms this) and what looks like "caterpillar", or "snail". He keeps shaking his head "no" after each guess--no, it's not a caterpillar, it's not a snail, it's not a lizard, not a dinosaur, not blanket. After about five minutes of repeating this, he tries another sign, that looks like him when he's going "crack-a-dog". (What? You haven't read any James Herriot?) Or maybe a crazed monkey. He says no to monkey, and no to gorilla. And no to crack-a-dog, and wild. He leads me to the TV and guides my finger to change channels. No such luck. Whatever this movie is, it isn't on one of our few channels. Hmm. He starts again. Signs "horse", and confirms it. Signs "frog". Yep, that's frog. I worry that he's remembering "Neighborhood Animals"--our copy of it got so scratched we haven't watched it for three years. I point to a Baby Einstein symbol on a book, and he smiles, but doesn't confirm it. I open the drawer of DVDs that aren't in our two cases of frequently used ones, and look around. Dog. Frog. Signing. Could it be "Baby Signing Time"? We put that away six months ago. I take it out.

James ecstatically smiles and grabs the blue Baby Signing Time DVD, and signs again--"giraffe" "signing" "caterpillar". Ah-ha! "Caterpillar" is "time"! He just kept his finger moving instead of keeping it still. And "The Pets I Love" song has a frog and a dog, and the "crack-a-dog" is the "Diaper Dance". So he approved of the "baby" in "Baby Einstein", but not the whole. Still can't figure out what the giraffe had to do with it--James' signs morph over time, usually becoming more exact, but giraffe and baby don't look at all alike. That was really hard. I'm impressed that he didn't give up!