Making Progress

We started playing with conversations between Baby Dragon and Mommy Dragon. We soon realized that, whatever we teach baby dragon, Charlie learns as well. We worked with Baby Dragon learning to say 'hello' and 'goodbye' and hugging and kissing his Mommy and Daddy Dragon and Charlie was doing those things within a few days. Now we're practicing having baby dragon make friends. Charlie went up to a kid on the playground this weekend (for the first time!) and engaged them in play. Now, it was by handing him Baby Dragon's friend and asking the kid to make the friend talk to Baby Dragon, but it felt huge. He rarely acknowledges the existence of other people. He didn't even seem to 'notice' his sisters until the last few months. (I've tried ignoring his sisters. It's impossible!)

He's still completely oblivious to implicit social cues, but modeling things between the dragons, giving him explicit cues and teaching him things as a kitty has helped a ton. And I love to hear him talk! It's so nice to finally have an insight as to what is going on behind those gorgeous blue eyes.

Baby Dragon's next job is an important one. I told you guys about Charlie's love for standing in the street, right? I bought one of those rugs that has roads printed on it. We're going to get out the cars and such and Baby Dragon will learn how dangerous it is to stand in the street. He'll get by a car and have an ouchie and Mommy Dragon will be all worried and Baby Dragon will learn that we don't stand in the road.