Forward Motion
May 28, 2009
A couple people inquired about the shoe box obstacle course I mentioned in yesterday's post. Yes, I was totally holding out on you. BEHOLD THE THRILLS:
Seven -- count 'em! -- SEVEN entire whole shoe boxes of various cheap-to-middling-quality shoe brands, each filled with wonder, excitement...and ADVENTURE.
Okay, more like "filled with cotton balls, dried beans, crumpled-up paper and packing peanuts."
This is a motor planning activity from The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun. The boxes can be filled with pretty much any textured material -- carpet, sand, buttons - and arranged in different ways, depending on your desired level of difficulty.
End to end in a straight line (forcing your child to put one foot down in front of the other) is slightly tougher than spaced out and staggered. So to start, I've put them near a wall to help Noah keep his balance. (He's wearing his socks because otherwise he gets too preoccupied with picking beans and packing peanuts from the bottom of his feet.)
After some practice, we try it using only one finger on the wall. And then...
Ta-da! No hands! Hooray!
Aaaaand. That's the shoe box obstacle course. Make one of your very own today! Mine would ideally contain booze and hot fudge, although instead of stepping in it I would just drink it, because I would replace the shoeboxes with a margarita glass and a bowl. Because I am a planner who thinks ahead.
***
In other, more fearsome mobility news, the baby (who as of last night demonstrated exactly ZERO interest in anything but sitting) has spent all damn day scooting all over the damn place on his belly and knees. The only way to thwart him seems to be moving him off the hardwoods and onto the carpet.
So thwart him, I did.
NO. I THWART THEE.
Ceiba demonstrates her own scooting-slash-yoga move. This is the Deboned Chicken.
Ezra responds with the Horizontal Spiderman.
And then moves effortlessly into the I Will Be Crawling By Monday So Lock Up Your Daughters, Your Stray Electrical Cords & The Millions Of Choking Hazards In That Shoe Box Obstacle Course, Oh Crap.
Have I mentioned just how much I love your posts? Well, I do!
"millions of choking hazards", "horizontal spiderman"...
still laughing!!
Um I just have one question. When can I move in because this is a household that knows how to have fun. Also for holding out on us YOU now have to get into the deboned chicken pose!!
And on a totally unrelated note how is your father doing?
Pretty sure I couldn't handle doing that obstacle course. Unless there was Vicodin at the end of it.
My little dog does the Deboned Chicken as well, except we call it the Stretch-It-Out.
Your obstacle course is impressive. And Noah's isn't half bad either!!
And Ezra didn't seem to appreciate your efforts at thwarting. But Ceiba appeared to be showing her rebellious side and mocking your thwarts.
Ez has suddently become irresitably cute. I just want to munch his cheeks!!!!
I love seeing a Cieba apperance too, it's been too long since he was last featured ;)
This made me laugh out loud and I really needed that. Thanks!!! You rock!
Can I come over for teh booze/hot fudge course? Pretty pleeze?
I have zero balance... I don't think that I could do that obstacle course without touching the wall.
Needless to say, the balance beam was by far my worst event when I took gymnastics as a child. Ouch.
I love the dog in the same pose! That is awesome.
I have to tell you that I actually cried when I read the line about pulling out the Mastercard and getting him a spot.
You are SUCH a good mommy.
Love the obstacle course! Noah looks like he enjoyed it too. That book really has some great ideas. Pretty soon Ezra is going to want to join in since Noah is having so much fun.
Deboned chicken? I'm stealing that! Thanks!
The Deboned Chicken is the funniest damn thing I've seen all day!
Cute squishy blue cloth diaper butt! So preshus (in a totally non-pedophile kind of way).
I think this is the first time I've ever commented. I think.
I just want to say (even though this is pretty serious for such a light-hearted post) the effort you put in for Noah is astounding. It seems like sometimes you question yourself, but any little boy(s), or girl(s) for that matter, would be worlds ahead of most of the children the world over with a parent (parents) as willing with their time as you are. Growing up with a very distant parent who couldn't be bothered, I am acutely aware of this every time I read your blog.
Very lucky kids. I applaud you both.
That's all.
LOL! This post reminds me of the posts from your pre-Noah days for some reason. Regardless, it was hilarious.
Nathan Jr has a pose similar to the horizontal spiderman that my husband calls the Angry Skydiver. He balances on his belly while his arms and legs flail about.
And God help us, Nathan Jr has just started to crawl, too. Not in the "quadrupedal movement" sense but more in the "how an injured drunk might crawl to a phone" sense.
Sometime he looks like a walrus.
Eh, my daughter is 'officially' crawling as of this week. And her brother has decided that this is the week to take all kinds of interest in money, change, piggy banks, etc. So... I'm with you on the choking hazards. Oy, it never ends. :)
Until Ceiba's picture and some of the comments, I thought that our dog was the only one who laid like that, I had just never seen it before. We call it Howie Turkey Legs. :)
You. Are. Awesome.
Thank you for writing so well that I just had to explain to a coworker why I was giggling at my screen...
That shoe box obstacle course looks like a blast, though mine would be filled with M&M's, sour gummy snacks, and chocolate-covered pretzels. Annnnd cue the mouth watering!
I can't believe Ezra will be crawling soon! He has the most adorable thwarted face, I must say.
Love the look Ezra's giving your dog. Like, "Heh. The good life is ova for you as soon as I figure out this crawling bizness."
And I can't imagine trying to do that obstacle course. Brings back terrible memories of gym class.
Go Noah!
Go Ezra!
Y'all are both amazing!
Oh, yikes. That means my boy will follow suit soon...I am not ready for a mobile kid!
Dude. Two mobile creatures under the age of four? Your life is over.
Go Ezra!
On second thought: Nah, don't. Not just yet. Because that means that my baby's going to crawl soon, too. And I'm *so* not ready for that.
How's your dad doing?
You're such a great mom. That obstacle course is awesome. I'm going to make one for my nephew when he's with us next month. He has some serious sensory issues, but he and I seem to connect on a special level. (this THRILLS me) He'll think that is a blast.
Oh, Ezra. How can you be crawling? You're supposed to be a teeny tiny baby forever!
I want to do a shoe box obsticle course with you. We can start with the booze and chocolate and then see how we do with the beans and cotton balls. Fun? YES!
P.S. You freaking rock! I love reading about Noah and Ezra and your wonderful Mommy-ness. Thank you for sharing your world with us. I like to think I'm a better person because of it.
Tell the truth. You got those kids out of a Cute As Hell catalog, didn't you? C'mon, it's okay... you can tell teh interwebs. ;)
Amy, you are such a WONDERFUL mother!! :) Your boys are so blessed to have you. And so are we that you share it with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Laughing out loud over here in central Indiana. De-boned chicken! ha! spiderman! ha ha!
Some day your son will appreciate all you've done for him. You are amazing.
I love the doggy pose. I am going to try and replicate that tonight in bed.
I'm with Noah - I'd totally be picking that stuff off my feet too - way to go sock buddy!
That was the best photo post I've ever seen.
Wow-you people make beautiful children! I have given up on stopping the crawling and moved on to stopping walking until mid-August when Swim Team ends and I won't be at a crowded pool watching 4 kids. I find keeping him in really slippery sox on the hardwoods helps :) On an embarrassing note, the crawler ate dog food off the floor tonight. On a positive note, he didn't choke so now I know he can handle more solids! Silver linings all around!
I haven't been keeping up with you lately because I've been so busy. Glad to see you are still as funny as ever and that you keep making the best of things. Your kids are as cute as can be. Hope you are well!
The horizontal spiderman is awesome. And I don't know if those pictures are in order but I love how it looks like he has taken a moment out of trying to move in order to check out the dog and then it is straight back to it.
Cracking up over Ceiba and Ezra in the same position on the floor...too damn funny.
Hahahahaha Ceiba.
First time commenter, I think. I have been with you for years and even read all your archives while the baby I nanny naps!!
You are a talented writer, and your children are precious.
I love the shoe box obstacle course - you're a great mom.
Also... do you spend all day nom-nomming on Ezra cheeks, legs and arms??
Ceiba is HILARIOUS! Best pic!
I love the look Ezra is giving Ceiba in the deboned chicken pose photo.
Great writing is always nice. But great writing with awesome pictures of amazing little people is truly worth the visit. Oh, and your dog cracks me up, too.
My friend just sent me the link to your blog. I have a three year old with sensory issues as well and can relate to your struggles on a very personal level. I just went to my sons IEP updated meeting yesterday. I love the sensory obstacle course idea and plan on using it.
The shoebox obstacle course looks pretty cool and I'm glad that Noah has mastered it without hands on the wall =) Yay for him!
Also, oh my goodness, Ezra's old enough to go mobile? Wow; time flies! What a cutie pie!
Who has cuter, more clever kids than you? No one.
Image_2347 is now my desktop photo. It will make me laugh my ass off every time I see it. Thanks, Amy! Thanks, Ezra! Thanks, Ceiba!
I love the expression of accomplishment on Noah's face in the last image! Way to go Noah!!
Ez is simply yummy. And you may have totally jinxed yourself in that he WILL be crawling by Monday!
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A shoebox obstacle course... what an awesome idea!
Amy, you are so funny. That picture of Ceiba is awesome, and I laughed out loud, literally. Your commentary completes it all. Thanks for the smiles today. :)
Holy crap your kids are cute.
Oh Amalah...you have NO IDEA how much I needed this today. Your babies are adorable. Absolutely sweet. You've done good.
How fun! I wondered what that activity would look like! I'm using that book right now to plan sessions for a my first clinic experience (I'm an OT student).
Have you done any of the other ones?
Just when I think you could not be any more awesome, there you go. You rock.
What a cool obstacle course!! Noah looks like he is having much fun. And geez, I can't believe Ezra is almost crawling. It seems like just yesterday we were all waiting in anticipation for news of his birth!
Side note, I think I saw you and Jason last night (Fri) at RENT? I was a couple rows in front of you guys but was too chicken to come up and say hi. :) (Plus it would distract from the real purpose of my evening: drooling over the yummy Adam Pascal!) Your dress=awesome.
Oh no! You are in for it now! Here comes mobility! Even more exhaustion shall ensue.
Neat idea on the obstacle course. I hope it helps him how it needs to.
I just wanted to say hi. My friend has been raving about your blog to me and I just decided to check it out. I blog also about my July 2005 daughter (with sensory and speech issues) and November 2008 son (who is perfect :) so I'll be sure to keep checking in because it seems like we have a lot in common. (and your writing just happens to crack me up:)
hahaha. that photo of Ez checking out Ceiba is a great capture. Baby book photo. Oh right, this IS your baby book. ;)
The picture with the dog is so CUTE! Oh, and the box idea is sooo cool!
Little tiny bottles of Xanax and Newman-O's, that would be good.
Cute pix, as always. Have fun with Crawling Boy.
ahh your boys are doing so awesome! you must be soo proud :)
Re: twitter posts (am lame, no twitter acct.) - what's avacado dip, as opposed to guacamole?? And how much cilantro do you put in? I love avacados and need better ideas for preparation, and you two are the only foodies I know! :) (Sad? yes But also kinda cool? yes)
Deboned Chicken = ROFL
Thanks.
I thwarted mine by putting them in dresses - those skirts slow them down every time. All my kids were girls, but I'm sure teh internet wouldn't judge if you tried it...right?