Wordless Wednesday: Santa Has Been Informed -- Max Wants a Movie

"Cheeeeeeese!"

The Amish Zoo

Max's grandparents took him on a field trip to a slightly different kind of zoo this week.

For lack of a better term, we call it "the Amish Zoo." It's a small, family-owned zoo on a local farm, and it's run by the Amish family that lives there. Family members of all ages are involved with the day-to-day operations -- there are children driving the horse & cart, handing out bags of feed for visitors to purchase, and helping to answer questions or provide assistance as needed, right alongside the adults.

It's an interesting little place. And it's funny to think that the novelty of it all for us is just another day on the farm to them. (It's also funny to imagine how happy and industrious Max might be if he lived there. Perhaps there is a lesson to be had here? - Noted!)

Much of the place is one big hands-on, petting zoo area. There are bunnies and fawns and goats to touch and feed and watch.

There was also an area where Max could try his hand at milking a (wooden) cow.

It's a lot easier to just open the fridge.

Max enjoyed ambling along in the cart while watching the animals roam.

(I wonder what the age difference is between these two boys...)

And then they got off the cart, right in the midst of those gentle creatures, with a bag of treats to share. I think the animals were almost as friendly and curious as Max was!

"Good afternoon, Mr. Goat! May I offer you a small amuse-bouche?"

There are fenced-in areas of the zoo, too, and Max & Grandpa made sure the animals in those parts were offered some treats, as well.

Feeding goats is a very ticklish business.

...But the goats were still the most fun!

Slow down, everyone -- there's plenty to go around.

There were a few exotic animals, too. Max was especially excited to see a tiger, as the memory of his last tiger encounter was still fresh in his mind....but that encounter was still fresh in Grammy's mind, too, so they quickly moved on!

No way, Jose!! This pacing tiger is NOT your old friend...and this fence is NOT sturdy Plexiglas. Keep walking!

They wisely decided to stick with the GOATS...

Hand sani-- oops, I mean FACE sanitizer, please!

...which seemed to be a VERY WISE decision, indeed!

*Shakes head in disbelief* (That boy.......sometimes I really am just speechless.)

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Sprinkler Fun

Meanwhile, Upstairs at the Ranch...

It's time for another episode of The Story Behind the Story. This one is called What Max Did While We Were Painting in the Basement.

Getting projects done around here often involve a few extra steps. Outside yard work goes pretty well with Max around, but inside jobs -- especially messy ones like painting -- just aren't always compatible.

We scheduled a full day of activities for him with his grandparents (both sets) during the really long marathon day of painting. But during the shorter afternoon of touch-ups and finishing, my husband and I both painted in the basement while Max was upstairs with his older brother. We set him up with a video and left his brother in charge with two basic rules: Keep him upstairs & Keep him safe.

Max actually stayed upstairs the whole time. I was pretty impressed and asked what he did to stay busy....and then looked around and realized the evidence sort of spoke for itself.

Here's a little peek. Can you figure out what Max did while we were painting?

Menards, Mangers, Maxes, Meaning, and Material Miscellany

Subtitle: Random Memories from the Holiday Season, Christmas 2008

Max has been pretty delighted with all the Christmas decorations everywhere we go these days. He exclaims and grins and Ho!-Ho!-Ho!s and wants me to talk about everything we see. I decided to take him to Menards home improvement store the other day to see the rows and rows of Christmas items on display there. (It's close to home, has free admission, and no lines to wait in -- the perfect low-stress outing!)

Max loved it! We spent quite a while just wandering up and down the aisles and ooh-ing and aah-ing over the giant inflatable snow globe, and the thousands of twinkle lights, and the sparkly ornaments, and the Santas GALORE!

...Although I did make the mistake of starting out in the aisle with all those stuffed, interactive critters with buttons to push. We had the entire row singing and playing banjo and barking and dancing and rocking and twisting by the time we worked our way through...and then Max thought that much of the other stuff on display was for him to touch and poke and move, too! Yikes.

(Which reminds me to comment on how nice the other shoppers were! Even when faced with the cacophony of Christmas critters we created, people were indulgent and cheerful, smiling at us and making friendly comments. One couple even stopped while passing by and the man asked if he could lift Max up to give him a closer view of the train running through a miniature Christmas village display. It was interesting to watch the interactions; I think shopping for Christmas decorations brings out the good in people.)

I bought Max a tiny tree to take home, and then let him pick out the lights for it. We settled on a string of tiny, multi-colored lights.

Carrying the box to the checkout counter helped keep his hands off the toys and candy so temptingly displayed along the way, too. Sometimes everything just works, you know? You may smirk at our Very Special Menards Christmas Outing, and admittedly I have certainly gotten my share of chuckles out of the entire concept, but I also have some very fond memories tucked away as a result. Sometimes seeing the world through his eyes makes things seem so magical & new again. Ahh, simple pleasures...

*****

On Sunday, the kids all sang in church at the beginning of the service. My husband was out of town, and we were running late, scrambling in at the last minute. Max was initially reluctant to join the group of kids, but quickly warmed to the idea and I promptly left. The other kids stood for the song, and most were singing, but Max sat with his teacher and watched the congregation and listened to the music. When the song was over, the kids all joined their families for the rest of the service.

The service seemed so long; Max certainly doesn't listen (so I don't, either). Does he know about the manger? Does he understand the Christmas Story? No, not in that way. But he understands friends and singing and families and animals and babies and love and joy -- so, really, you could argue that he does. He gets the meaning.

Max was a wiggle worm, shifting and shuffling and squirming, making frequent exclamations in his NON-whispering way. But then the singing started. He didn't sing the proper words or proper tune while up front with the children, but when we all stood to sing, he was right there with the rest of us. He insisted on holding his own hymnal (with two fingers slipped in back, just like his teacher does in school, as if to turn it around and show everyone the pictures) and ran his voice up and down, gentle and high, forming his shapeless words, just as sincere as could be.

So, yeah, I'd say he gets it. Maybe not "it" (the precise, defined type), but definitely It (the Truthy Meaningful type).

*****

Back at home, Max wanted to watch The Grinch. (Jim Carrey version) He's been watching this movie off and on for months now. It's nice that it is finally the proper season, and he can see similar images all around him. He particularly wants to watch the ending of the movie -- from the loud excitement of the Grinch's thievery through the part where the Whos all join hands and sway back and forth and sing their Who-y song. As a matter of fact, Max's sign for the Grinch movie in particular -- and for Christmas, in general! -- is to spread his arms and legs and rock back and forth, like one of the Whos in the singing scene. And then he wants us to say, "Daboo Florays" in acknowledgment of his "sign," because that is the phrase we have jokingly used in reference to the song the Whos are singing. (What are they saying? Anyone? I really need to google it!)

I've been trying to teach him the actual sign for Christmas, and he's getting it, but he needs a reminder and a prompt, and prefers to use his own full-body enthusiastic sign. (And actually, his version does capture the spirit of the season much more accurately, both in root and essence...) I like to think that he appreciates the sentiment of that scene, and of course, he likes the music. I think he also probably has special interest in that particular portion of the movie because the Grinch shouts at his dog, Max (nice coincidence, eh?), several times and then they end up rolling around on the floor together. It's nice to finally see that poor dog acting happy...and it's probably also nice to hear the music of one's own name.

So we're working on his Christmas sign, hoping to get one that is more universally recognizable and doesn't require an entire back-story explanation.

******

Max's speech therapist asked me what he wanted for Christmas. It's such a basic, common question...but it floored me for a moment. I really was blank! I mean, I know some of the things he's been into lately, and I have a pretty good idea of the type of things he'd probably like, and I have a list of things I've decided he needs...but somehow it really threw me off balance. I suppose we don't really ask that question! Can that be??

What does HE want? What does he WANT?

I stammered around and then kind of listed themes, telling her what he's into these days, and a few items I know he will be getting. The crazy thing is, I have tons of ideas for him this year! There have been years/stages where it has been really hard to know what to get him for birthdays or Christmas, but this year he's had some very clear preferences and delights. I've observed and I'm totally prepared! But I still don't really ask him that question. How would he answer?

Well, he'd do the same things he's been doing: pointing and grinning, picking something out in a crowd, carrying it around, using a sign or word for it...that's his answer. But it's not exactly the same.

On the other hand, maybe here he gets it, too. There's some stuff that is fun. Stuff that makes us laugh, stuff that we enjoy, stuff that has all the bells and whistles. But really, the details are not terribly important. Those things come and go. They are temporary. They may delight us anew each day...or they may drop from our radar, quickly discarded. It's the feeling we are after, not the thing. For me, grasping this concept is somewhat of an ongoing, lifelong lesson; for Max, though, it seems obvious.

He wants something that makes him smile or makes him feel good. But it doesn't really matter what it is, because the stuff is just on the side. A temporary distraction. A passing delight. His main pleasure is simply being with all of us, sitting close and playing together and smiling at each other. The rest is icing.

I'm still learning this one. Max, on the other hand, gets it.

More Imaginary Dancing (a.k.a. Elf Yourself!)

Here's a little something seasonal for you to enjoy, from Me and My Shadow! (If you take away the tap shoes and add a Christmas theme, it's actually very similar to the image I had in my head when typing my last post...HA!)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

At Least He Went Down Smiling

Max and his brother have been playing some rough-and-tumble games together lately. It's kind of hard to watch, because for so many years it just didn't work, and I still find myself generally doubtful. Max was always too fragile or totally unprepared or clearly over-powered...but the tides are slowly turning, and now when those two get wild our reprimands are sometimes aimed at Max for being too rough & wild with his older brother!

Though the ball-tossing, chasing, screaming, tackling, hootin' & hollerin' rowdiness doesn't look like fun to me, the boys seem to generally enjoy it. Max had a particularly abrupt fall (aka TACKLE?) recently and I ran towards the crying with both barrels loaded, firing off zingers and accusations and warnings and loud, angry I-Told-You-Sos...

...but when his tears ended, it was readily apparent that the boy had indeed gone down smiling. The rug-burn around his eye indicates a ginormous squinty grin was present right up to the bitter end, even as he was skidding face-first across the floor; the scab forms a perfect outline of his smiling eyes. Yowza.
But EVEN SO, guys, can't I interest you in a nice, quiet round of Dolls & Diapers? Or Fake Napping? Counting Your Moles? Practicing ASL?!?

Cause it's only 5:15 but it's already dark outside and it's only the first day of December but there's already snow on the ground and you're only having fun but MOMMY'S HEAD ALREADY HURTS!!

*****

What do I file this under? Frustrations? Or Favorite Things? ...perhaps Milestones, in a bizarre sort of way? hmm.

A Pirate For All Seasons

I originally picked up a baseball costume for Max to wear while Trick-Or-Treating. I don't usually buy ready-made costumes, but this one was in Cubs colors, and had built-in muscles, and I just couldn't resist. Now, if Halloween fell during the summer months (i.e., Cubs season), it would have remained the obvious choice. But baseball season is over, and since making that purchase we have been completely taken over by PIRATES.

I returned the baseball costume, and dug through the dress-up box for pirate wear instead. It may be a tired cliche for others, but it's exciting new stuff for us!

A Guy Named Glen, Raggedy Ann, and The Dread Pirate Max

Granted, the outfit was a bit more King Arthur than Pirate (especially once he took off the vest and all headgear -- kerchief, earring, AND eye patch), but Max totally got it. He really got behind the whole Trick-Or-Treating concept this year, too! We walked around with him while his siblings were with other groups of kids, and even without their assistance, he went up to each door and got his candy. Some places (the ones that had the really good stuff, I guess) inspired him to linger at length and gaze VERY CLOSELY at the goody stash, but he really was able to do it quite independently. It was fun to watch.

And of course he was a natural at the racing* and pillaging, jumping off the poop deck**, and sounding his joyful "arrrgh!" -- and he even remembered to sign "thank you" now and then.

It was another one of those Aha! moments, when I realize just how far we've come. Max kind of enjoyed trick-or-treating last year, but needed to walk hand-in-hand with his grandpa, and was completely out of sorts and signing "all done" after a trek around the block.

Flashback moment: Gilligan & The Skipper (Halloween 2007)

Furthermore, his costume last year was purely for OUR enjoyment...but this year he was completely on board and took obvious personal pleasure in wearing his pirate duds.

I found a pirate mirror cling set at Target in the post-Halloween clearance aisle. I plan on putting it on the mirror in his bedroom so that even though the traditional piracy season is now over, he continue to be a pirate any ol' time he wants.

*****

* Yes, clearly I meant the 'c'.

** Not quite sure what this means, but it sounds totally plausible...

Because Sometimes Pirates Have Disabilities, Too...

So we're continuing on the pirate theme around here. I've been amused to see the places Max finds a pirate -- pirates in places I hadn't even thought to look! It's like he's living in a "Where's Waldo?" book, singlemindedly focused on finding random pirates tucked here and there, behind each door, and in every nook and cranny.

Did you know there's a pirate in the intro to SpongeBob Squarepants shows? I obviously knew on some level, because I've heard/seen it a jillion times...but previously, Max was always focused on hearing the "Ohhhhhhhhhh!..." at the start of the theme song, not necessarily on the pirate who is singing it. But now SpongeBob's like a whole new show! Because PIRATE! Right there! On the screen!

There are pirates on the yogurt!

There are pirates in the alphabet book! (Ooo!) Pirate Halloween costumes in the newspaper flier! (Ahh!)

In the store aisles, we even discovered a box of pirate band-aids and a pirate toothbrush!

(Tooth brushing is a rather gaggy & unpleasant event around here, so if this battery-operated, Pirates of the Caribbean-themed, rotating brush can help, it's money well spent! Thank you, Disney.)

I was browsing cafepress.com this morning to search for pirate images and came across this one -- not exactly right for Max, but I quite like the graphic:

(Click on the photos for links & ordering info.)

Are there any wheelchair-using scallywags out there in the market for a pirate shirt?

Some other pirate designs caught my eye as well -- like this one, featuring ASL:

And this one, in braille:

And this one, targeting dyslexia:

These shirts can be snarky, or good honest fun, (or BOTH), depending on who is wearing them (and why). I was rather tickled to come across them.

Normally, I would be tempted by the sign language shirt, but Argh-ing like a pirate is definitely a VERBAL interest for Max, so I continued browsing and found these two shirts that seemed more appropriate for him:

The dog-PLUS-pirate combo would absolutely thrill him. (And somehow the idea behind it seems sort of appropriate -- I often feel like we are translating a secret & mysterious language, too. Plus it just tickles my funny bone.)

And then there's this option.
It's a solid nod to talking like a pirate that would likely trigger many spontaneous "arghing" conversations, which Max would enjoy greatly, AND it is one of the few with an actual pirate instead of a skull....but, frankly, the knife in the mouth worries me a bit.

I plan on ordering a pirate-y shirt for one of Max's Christmas presents this year. Are there any other fun recommendations out there I should consider before placing my order?

Seriously Mad Wiffle Ball Skills

Max loves the Cubs. I mean, he really, really loves them. I suppose he is mostly modeling after my husband who cheers them on with great excitement, but he is quite a fan all on his own, too. He recognizes the Cubs logo, and can pick one out from a mile away. He routinely chooses the Cubs cup to drink out of, and has been known to carry around my husband's Cubs golf towel as a beloved object. He has a Cubs t-shirt that he loves to wear.

The one obvious bit of Cubs paraphernalia that is difficult to find in Max's size is a baseball cap.

We've come up with a pretty nifty solution, though. We start with a regular, adult-size visor, and make a little twist in the ends before velcroing them securely together again.

Voila! Tiny Cubs hat!

Max LOVES wearing his Cubs visor.

He especially loves wearing it while playing wiffle ball in the back yard. He has a pretty good pitch, though his accuracy is rather random. But if there's any doubt about how much of the televised games he's taking in, take a look at his pitching form in the following clip. He does a wind-up and raises his leg, just like the pros.



His real talent lies in hitting the ball, though. True, he gets frequently distracted by leaves waving in the breeze, or squirrels, or the noise of passing vehicles...but when he is focused, he has a very impressive batting average. Seriously. I know, it seems counterintuitive, because he still struggles with using his two hands together to catch a large ball, but I'm telling you -- the boy can bat.

Sometimes it's way more than mere contact, too. We're talking line drives here. And, though I can't believe I'm going to bare all on a public website like this, I want to show you the evidence of this wild claim.

Behold, Exhibit A:

Ball mark left on my stomach from a zinger he hit!

Notice the perfectly formed wiffle ball pattern that was created by the impact through my shirt!! (Ouch.) I didn't even have time to move.

I'm telling you, this kid's got some seriously mad skills.

If you want to come join us, we'll likely be out in the back yard, practicing again...but bring your protective gear!

Riddle Me This: Back-To-School Logic Puzzles

Puzzle #1.

• A school bus is carrying a load of children home from school. School is dismissed at 12:35 p.m., and the bus travels at an average speed of 35mph for a distance of 5 miles. The bus is required to drive through lunch-hour traffic across town, and it must cross one set of train tracks, a minimum of 3 intersections, and a smattering of stop signs along the way. In addition, there is no information provided about the possibility of x number of additional stops that may or may not be scheduled along the route.
  
  
• At what time will the bus reach its appointed destination?

(Answer, 12:51 p.m.)

**********

Puzzle #2.

• A child comes home from school wearing actual cotton underwear instead of disposable pull-ups. Within 5 minutes of arrival, the child's underwear are...ahem, dirtied. Clean-up requires removal of one pair of double-knotted shoes and 2 socks, the use of one dozen wet wipes, the loss of said pair of brand new underwear, and running an emergency load of laundry. The mother then needs to decide whether to immediately re-dress the child in another pair of underwear or in a pull-up.
  
  
• What are the odds of this situation occurring again within the next 8 hours that the mother should consider when making her decision?

(Answer, ??)

For the record, I really have no idea, but I went with the pull-up...and 5 minutes later it happened again. Personally, I suspect one should always favor the odds that come with leak-proof fabrics, particularly when paired with the sanitary benefits of rip-away Velcro sides and disposability.)

**********

Puzzle #3

• A blogger types 2 logic puzzles while her son watches The Lion King.
  
  
• How many minutes will she have in which to finish the post, run spellcheck, add labels, and hit "publish" before he abandons the movie and sneakily pours an entire bottle of his sister's bath gel into the sink?

(Answer, 5 minutes previous to typing Problem #3.)

**********

Yep, been there, cleaned that. My computer time is officially over for today.

But guess what? -- SCHOOL AGAIN TOMORROW!

I'll be back. (cue maniacal laughter)

Max as The Talking Stain

Max has been vocalizing more lately. In fact, he has suddenly started "talking" while I'm talking, in a sort of bizarre mimicry.

I think it started from the two of us singing together. He loves it when music is playing and I start to sing. He joins in with his little high, throaty "singing" voice and just kind of goes all up and down in pitch, singing his gentle song. Well, our singing duets have morphed into speaking duets.

I have to say, it's pretty cute, but I find it really hard to keep my train of thought. If I'm talking to my husband and Max joins in with me for a little tandem talking, well, I keep right on talking and assume he's just trying to be a part of the conversation. (and hide my grin!) But if I'm speaking directly to Max and telling him something important that he needs to hear while he does his duet...well, obviously he's not listening. But it's a start, right?

Remember the Talking Stain commercial that aired during the Superbowl last year? Where the guy is in a job interview, but the stain on his shirt is so distracting that nobody can focus? Well, it's exactly like that!

I googled that commercial so I could add a link here, and discovered that you can actually put your own face on the stain in a mini movie!

Here you go -- this captures the essence perfectly! (Just imagine taking out the hard syllables and lowering the volume.) I have been giggling about this all day: Max as The Talking Stain!

Signing Time Video Magic

Today's post shows another one of Max's favorite things -- watching his Signing Time video. He loves electronics of any kind, and spends a good deal of time "watching" his shows. Watching shows for Max is not the passive couch potato activity you might think, though; it involves lots of stopping and starting, pausing and rewinding, experimenting with volume and setting controls, etc... (I'm telling you, he can "fix" the satellite/dvd/cable settings on our tv more accurately than I can!) plus a good deal of running in and out of the room and back and forth to the tv.

He usually gets really enamored with one show at a time. Past obsessions have included The Grinch, WonderPets!, Stuart Little, and, most recently, the Lion King. There are short passages in each that I can probably recite verbatim, and bits of soundtrack that echo ceaselessly through my mind in the middle of the night.

The past few weeks he has rediscovered his Signing Time video. He's watched this many times over the past several years, but suddenly it is just CLICKING with him. He watched it quite literally all day long recently (Hey, it was raining! I was tired! Don't judge!) and towards the end of the day he persuaded his sister to watch along with him.

I walked past the room and noticed he was not only signing right along with the videos, but also SINGING! Seriously singing (the word "Leah"), with actual tongue movement and the right vowel sound and on the beat! This is big stuff, people!

I grabbed my camera to capture the moment. The picture quality isn't great, and I apologize for the bumpiness, but I love this footage!

I know EXACTLY what to get Max for his birthday this summer...