interpreter

Do children understand each other better than adults understand them? I sometimes think that they might. Garrett is often correctly interpreting things that Caleb has trouble verbally communicating to us, and sometimes Caleb clears up some of the more difficult to comprehend things that Garrett says.

But it's not just actual talking that they attempt to interpret. This morning Garrett got really excited when Matthew started cooing. "Mom!" he called to me from the other room. "Mom! Did you hear that? Matthew said 'hello'!"

While I could hear the coos as well as Garrett's excitement, I wasn't there to actually witness their "conversation," so for all I know Matthew could actually have been attempting to greet his brother, in his own infantile and otherwise incomprehensible way.

But then again, perhaps Matthew's coos really were just vocalized sounds coming out of his mouth because when, a few minutes later, Garrett caught him cooing again, he called out to me, "Mom! Matthew's talking again! He said he wants to go to the Fire Museum! And the Children's Museum! He wants to do that -- that's what he say!"

Obviously Matthew's verbalization skills are grossly undeveloped at this point, and apparently Garrett's listening comprehension skills are also still maturing. Or, more likely, his ability to interpret is heavily influenced by his own desires.