What About My Lady?

If you haven’t read my blog much, then you might not know that my husband is Deaf. While this is practically “normal” for our family, every once in awhile one of my kids has some kind of an aha! moment that furthers their CODA (child of deaf adult) cultural development. Tonight was one of those nights. 

Our local Children’s Theater was putting on an interpreted performance of Snow White. Of course, I thought this would be a great opportunity to treat the kids to a “show.” Because it was interpreted some of the younger children from the local Deaf school, where my husband works, were also there. 

You would think that this would be the norm for my kids but it isn’t. The school is located a good distance from our home and is closed on the weekends, so my kids don’t spend a lot of time there. The school kids were super excited to see Chris out of work and were fascinated with Eph & Lu. Little hearing kids that can sign are a novelty. There was one girl that Eph seemed to be a bit smitten with. Google eyes all around. 

As the night was winding up, the Deaf kids were lining up and getting ready to board their bus back to school. All of a sudden Eph had a million questions. Where were their parents, why were they in school at night, how long did they stay at school. I tried to explain that they lived at the school and that Daddy goes there to help take care of them. The questions seemed to subside but when we got home and were brushing our teeth, he wanted to know more about why their parents make them live at school. 

In my infinite wisdom, I was trying to explain that some parents don’t know sign language and that in some cases it is better that the kids live at the Deaf School were they have staff and everyone can communicate. Of course, Eph was like “but Dad went to school there and Grandma and Grandpa are Deaf too so why did Dad go.” 

So I then was explaining that it is just what some Deaf kids do. 

Then the “Aha!” moment hit…

Eph: So what happens when I have a lady?

Me: What lady?

Eph: You know, when I get old and have to get married and have a lady and she doesn’t know sign language, how will she talk with Dad.

Me: That is a good question. Maybe she will learn. You can teach her.

Eph: Oh, that is true, well I think that I am going to have a Deaf baby and then my lady will learn sign language and we won’t make our kid go and sleep at the school. They can stay home.

Me: I don’t know if you will have a Deaf baby but I do know that if you ever have a “lady” you can teach her sign language. 

And then he lived happily ever after with his lady.