Want? Banana?

a couple of weeks ago, i had asked ozzy if he was hungry (not really expecting an answer, just keeping up a stream of chatter), and then said, do you want a banana?

i didnt sign anything, but ozzy looks at me and holds a fist up and uses his other hand to 'peel' it. it looked like he was signing the word banana, which is a sign i've shown him on several occasions. so i was thrilled he was signing banana.

then the next day, he signs for a drink and then he does a different version of his banana sign with an open hand which he strokes with his other hand, almost tapping his open palm. thinking he was signing banana differently i told him we were out of bananas. and gave him a different snack.

then i noticed this new sign appear several more times through the days ahead, and realized he didnt want a banana each time. after careful observation (times like this is feel so Jane Goodall), i realized he had made up his own sign to express when he wants something and is asking me to give it to him.

for example, today, he brings me a bag of potato chips (he loves chips), and hands it to me and does his funny little palm stroking sign.

what amazes me about this is that i have never taught him a sign to request something. and as far as i know, no one else has taught him this either. this is not a sign that appears on his baby signs dvd or on anything else he usually watches. i honestly believe he figured out a way to communicate a desire to me all on his own.

now, as for the sign 'banana'...he will sign 'banana' when i show him a banana, so i know this is a different sign, even tho the two look very similar (as did his 'more' sign, and 'clap'.)