Go Diego Go

As I am home full time now, thanks to my current job ending and my next one not yet beginning, I'm getting to spend a lot of time with Monster. He is being pretty accommodating by developing new skills while I am actually around to see them (for a change).

His latest talents have been intimately linked to Noggin's Go Diego Go. One morning, by happenstance, Mr. turned on Noggin while this show was on. Monster use to love to watch both Dora and Diego episodes, a few years ago, before he "graduated" onto Disney. This time, he was different. He actually watched them. It started with the episode about condors when he would watch and then say "condors, condors, condors" and started singing the theme song, with his version of Spanish.

Go, Go Diego.

Bamose, Bamose, Diego.

I want Condors again, pease [sic]

Then he got interested in the rainforrest race episode, where he told us about the armadillo, pumas, bears and monkeys. He had this story in one of his beginner reading books and would point everything out to us while he was "reading" it. The big difference, though, with his watching the tv, he started doing the actions with the characters and shouting out the words at the correct interval. In technical terms, he interacted with the show in an age appropriate way.

Mr and I sat there stunned. We looked at each other and were nearly bawling our eyes out.

Wonders upon wonders, he seems to have linked the TV show episode to both the book he reads and to the Smart Cycle (electronic toy that hooks up to the TV) Diego game that he plays.

In technical terms, he generalized.

In emotional terms, he connected a few dots.

As with everything, it is a blessing and curse. He wants to obsess on these episodes over and over again and surfs on the edge of a meltdown when he has to do something else. But I'll take that, thank you very much.

His therapists and teachers have been telling us how well he has been doing, even if his behaviors at home are a bit moody. I hope we can keep this going during the move.