Thursday, January 6, 2011

A boy and his ur-ul balloons


Eight years into being Max's parents, we still go overboard with the toys, games, books, whatever. OK, we're that way with Sabrina, too, but there's more pressure on getting Max stuff that will encourage him to use his hands and his mind.

Of course, like any kid, the most basic, simple playthings bliss him out.

We visited my sister the other day. She had balloons left over from my niece's first birthday party and a helium tank. Woo hoo! THREE PURPLE BALLOONS. Max was ecstatic. He squealed.

Max, by the way, continues to refer to himself as Ur-Ul Max. If you say "Hi, Max!" he will shake his head at you and say, "Ur-Ul Ax!'

Do you think the Social Security people would let me put "Purple Max" on his card? Should we get the license plate? Hmmm, maybe a t-shirt will suffice.

Also happy-making: Sabrina offered to tie the balloons to his wrist, and she didn't even have an ulterior motive for being sweet to him, although going home she squirreled away all the rest of the balloons in the minivan. She has several hiding places there; the pocket of the armrest in the third row has a bazillion Silly Bandz. I don't think this qualifies her for Hoarders or anything, but we're keeping on eye on that one.


What sort of basic stuff amuses your kids?

17 comments:

  1. Slinkies....a bunch of bangles held together by a plastic zip tie...a bath tub rag doll...tissue paper.....

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  2. I actually just wrote about this topic. For my son, often the favorite item is the box the present came in. This Christmas, though, he chose his favorites of everyone else's presents--which when you combine the wall clock given to my husband and held at chest height all Christmas with the microphone from my other son's Beatles Rock Band set, made the perfect imitation of Flavor Flav, that is if you looked past the blond hair and blue eyes.

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  3. Marley's favorite for the last couple months has been the package that wipes come in. I don't know if its the crinkly sound it makes or what but she love love loves it! Her therapists actually use it as a motivator to get her to move during therapy. Whatever makes her happy =)

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  4. Love it! Have you ever had balloons in a minivan and used the key to open the side doors from a distance only to watch your children's beloved balloons float away? That's the worst.

    Our simple pleasure these days is magnets. Any kind, they love 'em!

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  5. Mine love to kick the red rubber ball around the yard, it will keep them busy for a good hour or more--we've been through probably 5 or 6 of them in the last year. They're cheap as all get out, I get them at Walmart. They have some goofy game with rules that change at the blink of an eye, somehow it always ends up a tie!

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  6. Olivia loves strings. Every time we go someplace new she will search and search until she finds a string she can play with. Pretty simple, eh?

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  7. My son loves plastic water bottles. I'm not sure what the fascination is, but you hand him one & he's one happy little guy.

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  8. A bucket full of little do dads (like strings of beads, balls, tubes of lip balm, and those tiny little things you used to get out of gumball machines) is pretty much the "it" right now.

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  9. My kids go nuts for bubble wrap - and honestly, I understand!

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  10. Purple rocks! I actually have a purple pencil pouch that I'm trying to get rid of...any chance Max might like it? I'm serious - I'd be glad to send it to him!

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  11. My son had a chocolate milkshake before his physical therapy session today, and the PT said it was his best session ever. He and I both love chocolate milkshakes, so this may become a new tradition for us.

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  12. Debbie: Hi! Slinkies RULE.
    Kathy: Cracking up over Flavor Flav.
    C: Those crinkly packages the wipes come in really are fascinating, though they are adult-proof in terms of being able to open them.
    Jean: I do know exactly what you mean, we drove home with those balloons in the minivan. Forget the cup holders; minivans need balloon holders.
    Anna: I still love bubble wrap! Got some to share?! Ha!
    Sabrina (love your name!): That is sweet of you. Coincidentally, this week I got Max a purple satin pencil pouch, so he is all set in the purple pencil pouch department.
    Courtney: Max loves chocolate milkshakes, but sometimes, we don't even get to the milkshake part because he just wants to gobble down the ice-cream. While I was reading to Sabrina upstairs, my husband let him have FOUR bowls of the stuff tonight.

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  13. M. has a love for canned foods. He moves them all around our apartment. He also loves any small object that he can put inside a container and take out of the container and put inside the container and take outside again, rinse, repeat.

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  14. Deflated balloons. ;-) Once yours deflate, we'll take them. *One* of my kids loves deflated balloons and calls them "balloon friends." And (empty) Hershey kiss wrappers which are then called "foil friends." Perhaps there is a future in recycling/environmentalism here....

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  15. plastic bubble wrap. Oh and the awesome large bubble packages that come as packing in shipped gifts. My son will stomp on them within reach of his sisters. His sisters HATE the noise. I giggle as he is just getting a rise out of older sisters.

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  16. i will NOT admit to watching Survivor, but my husband does. there was a contestant during the last season named Purple Kelly. (she had purple streaks in her hair. as i did in my 20s. as max may if current trends continue.)

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  17. Hunter age 9 is a picture freak, he also is into asking me to "print it" ...the same picture he has in is hand...what is the point of a duplicate...I dunno ask Hunter 8>...dvd cases empty so he can slide in his own cover?...go figure...attraction ads that you get in tourist areas(we live in one)he takes it and has a certain way of bending it and carrying it...I could go on and on if you want more msg me LOL

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Thanks for sharing!



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