LauraM
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2012
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 0
Hello! 
I've been poking around the forum a bit and decided I should go ahead and join and hopefully make some new friends. I have been wanting a signing buddy for a long time and I just got a new laptop with a camera so I figured this might be a good place to start. =)
To give you a little background about myself...I am hearing and my interest in sign language began around age 5 when I found a book at the library. I checked it out and started learning on my own. Then, as fate would have it, a few years later a family friend gave birth to a Deaf son, and I babysat for their family for a number of years where I attended some classes with them at the school, and learned a great deal more about signing. We mostly used SEE II at that time.
Skipping ahead a few more years, I enrolled in an interpreting training program in college. I realized about half way through that despite my love for the language and culture, interpreting was not a good fit for me. I think I would be too emotionally attached to the assignments, which wouldn't be good for anyone. So, I changed my major and finished my Masters in Business Administration, but I never lost my passion for ASL.
I knew long before I had children I would teach them to sign. I started working with my oldest daughter at 6 months and she signed her first word ("milk") at 9 months. Best feeling in the world! It brought tears to my eyes. =) She is now 2.5 years old and we continue to sign almost daily. I have also started working with my 7 month old daughter.
I really miss signing with other adults and have often thought about becoming certified to teach hearing families to sign with their children. I guess that's another thing that brings me to the forum...I'd be interested in hearing experience from others who have done the same thing, and feedback on the various programs out there.
Also, remember the Deaf boy I babysat for? Well, he's all grown up and getting married next year! (OMG!) He and his fiancee asked me if I would marry them if they decide to have a wedding (vs the courthouse) since they could not find a minister that signed in the area. I'm completely flattered, and agreed to help, but I'm totally nervous, as my signing has become a bit rusty. So that's another reason I would like a signing buddy. =)
Other than that, I'm in my early 30s, have the two girls I mentioned as well as a wonderful husband who has learned some signs while I teach our daughters. We live in a very small town in Iowa and both work out of our home.
So anyway, that's me in nutshell. Looking forward to meeting the rest of you!
I've been poking around the forum a bit and decided I should go ahead and join and hopefully make some new friends. I have been wanting a signing buddy for a long time and I just got a new laptop with a camera so I figured this might be a good place to start. =)
To give you a little background about myself...I am hearing and my interest in sign language began around age 5 when I found a book at the library. I checked it out and started learning on my own. Then, as fate would have it, a few years later a family friend gave birth to a Deaf son, and I babysat for their family for a number of years where I attended some classes with them at the school, and learned a great deal more about signing. We mostly used SEE II at that time.
Skipping ahead a few more years, I enrolled in an interpreting training program in college. I realized about half way through that despite my love for the language and culture, interpreting was not a good fit for me. I think I would be too emotionally attached to the assignments, which wouldn't be good for anyone. So, I changed my major and finished my Masters in Business Administration, but I never lost my passion for ASL.
I knew long before I had children I would teach them to sign. I started working with my oldest daughter at 6 months and she signed her first word ("milk") at 9 months. Best feeling in the world! It brought tears to my eyes. =) She is now 2.5 years old and we continue to sign almost daily. I have also started working with my 7 month old daughter.
I really miss signing with other adults and have often thought about becoming certified to teach hearing families to sign with their children. I guess that's another thing that brings me to the forum...I'd be interested in hearing experience from others who have done the same thing, and feedback on the various programs out there.
Also, remember the Deaf boy I babysat for? Well, he's all grown up and getting married next year! (OMG!) He and his fiancee asked me if I would marry them if they decide to have a wedding (vs the courthouse) since they could not find a minister that signed in the area. I'm completely flattered, and agreed to help, but I'm totally nervous, as my signing has become a bit rusty. So that's another reason I would like a signing buddy. =)
Other than that, I'm in my early 30s, have the two girls I mentioned as well as a wonderful husband who has learned some signs while I teach our daughters. We live in a very small town in Iowa and both work out of our home.
So anyway, that's me in nutshell. Looking forward to meeting the rest of you!
