The meaning of GA!

December 1, 2010

The meaning of GA!

More and more, B-Boy says GA! It means many things, as I have reported previously. Mostly it means- you take this, and goodbye.

But for the past few days, it has meant something else. But before I tell you what that means, let me back up. We have a door-less cart in the kitchen that we primarily reserve for B-Boy. We stock the bottom shelf with things that would be interesting to him, but not cause too much harm or worry. Things that are there currently include reusable water bottles, the water bottles lids which are great fun to play with, a remote for the Roomba and his bottles of his favorite snacks- which are puffs. The puffs containers are filled to different levels, and make a great sound when shaken. The water bottles are various shapes and sizes; several bottles are metal and a few are plastic. Some have a hard texture, and others are soft. The water bottles are also fun to put things in, his pacifier is a big favorite- and then he can play can I get this out of the bottle?

Two days ago, I added to the items on B-Boy’s shelf. Another favorite treat for B-Boy are Apple Cinnamon wagon wheels made by Gerber. They are nice to hold, crunchy without being hard, and large enough to keep him munching happily for a while. The container also makes great noise when shaken, as the top is made of rubber and the bottom is made of metal. The container is a short, fat cylinder that is large but manageable for B-Boy.

Now back to the story and why I think GA! has another meaning.

The other night, B-Boy finished his dinner, and then it was time to play. He quickly found the cylinder of wagon wheels and picked it up. He palmed the container, and crawled into the living room where I was sitting on the floor. He got to my lap, and sat down. He looked up at me with his big blue eyes, lifted the container and said “GA!“.

At first I thought he wanted me to shake it to make a fun noise.Um, no.

Then I thought, “Does he want a wheel? Is he trying to ask me to give him one?” So, I opened the lid and turned the container toward him. He then reached in, selected one, put it in his mouth and CRUNCH! A few moments later, it was gone.

“GA!“, he said.

“Another one?“, I said and offered the container to him. Another was selected and consumed, followed by another.

Then last night, he did it again with the container of O’s and also the puffs. He has mastered the new meaning of GA! and also that he can ask for what he wants. This realization is HUGE.

I think this is coming because he sees the other kids in the new class ask for things and get them. We shall see. I am enjoying the progression, and hope you are too!

Permalink