Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Help! I can't stop organizing! Plus, the first Special Needs Swap Shop



Lately, I have been on an organizing bender:

• I organized the piles of paper in our attic/office, some of which dated back to 2000.
• I organized the three cabinets in the living room wall unit (aka The Black Holes).
• I organized the kitchen pantry—a completely annoying pantry since the shelves are deep but they do not slide and as it turns out I like to hoard spaghetti sauce, although I wasn't aware of it until I kept pulling out jar after jar and there were, I am not kidding, 26 jars. If there's ever a spaghetti sauce shortage in the world, you know who to call.
• I organized four closets.
• I organized the basement and, evidently, I like to hoard light bulbs, too. If there's ever a light bulb shortage in the world, contact me.

My good friend Denise told me that if I get the urge to organize my sock drawer, it's time to get a life. I didn't have the guts to admit I'd already spent a half hour organizing my underwear drawer.

Putting things in order and tossing stuff frees my mind, which is very cluttered. I've also uncovered some great things from Max's early years that I forgot I had. Including the above Pony Gait Trainer, the contraption that helped Max learn to walk; it's for kids up to age 3. I can't find any photos of him actually using it, but I did dig up one of him in his other preferred method of transportation back then:



Here's what I'm thinking: I'd like to give this Pony to the first person who e-mails me about it, you just pay for the postage (be warned, this thing isn't light, but it is in good shape). Obviously, you should first check with your physical therapist about whether this is the right gait trainer for your child.

I'll be offering up a couple of other things from Max's past in upcoming weeks. And if you have something that you'd like to give away that might help a kid with special needs, send me an e-mail with a writeup of what the item is and a photo. Also, if there is something that you're seeking for your child, send me an e-mail with a description of what it is. I'll start doing occasional Swap Shop posts and somehow we'll make it all work!

UPDATE: The Pony Gait Trainer has been taken.

18 comments:

  1. You have such a big heart, not to mention some of the cutest kids around. Loved that shot of Max's laundry basket. And now he has a purple car. When Max is an adult you can blackmail him with that picture. Definitely a keeper!

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  2. If you run out of things to organize, my house is up for a good go-over.

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  3. I love that you are doing this. When Foster was in a hip-spica (spika?) cast at 3, we had to rig a car seat for him by removing the back seat from our minivan and ratchet-strapping in a huge swing we borrowed from a local facility. No one had the real car seat he needed, and the cost and time to ship were both way out of our league. Not to mention how to haul around a 40 lb 3yo. Oy.

    Someone out there really needs the equipment you're offering.

    :)
    love.

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  4. OOOOHHH! I love this idea!! Awesome! I also want to comment on how impressed that I was with Max's singing!! Sabrina is great too, of course, but she practices a lot! Max just WOWed me to pieces. I think it was the whole lung capacity thing. That is such a wonderful thing! Emma struggles with that. Her words are low and soft most of the time, and singing that long and at that volume would be a sure impossibility for her right now! But, I was so thrilled to see that!! That Max is such an inspiration. Thanks for sharing!!

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  5. I don't have your email and now that I am writin this I realize it probably is on your site so will look there too. I have a great stander, never used(wasn't the correct style my son needed), a positional chair, and a kid cart. Will try and get your email and pics of them. Great idea!

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  6. Stop the madness! You ARE just like my mother! She never stops!

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  7. Here's my e-mail, for handy reference: Lovethatmax@gmail.com

    Ack! I'm like somebody's mother! That's a very sobering thought, even though I already AM somebody's mother! Two somebodies' mother, in fact!

    Karen, I could maybe organize your sock drawer, if you'd like.

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  8. This is such an awesome idea! I'm think that we should do a blog or something -- you could enlist a few people to help out with it? I'm so excited and off to make a list of all the stuff I've got to give away!

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  9. Elizabeth, one of these days I am going to rejigger the blog layout and establish a category JUST for swaps! I've had this in my mind for a long time.

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  10. How awesome!!!! I will keep this in mind as Jude outgrows his items.

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  11. Love the idea of swap shop! Great idea!!!

    And yay to your for your organising. We've just bought a house (OMG!) and at nearly 7 months pregnant, I could really do with you flying down under and helping me sort my life out before we move :-)

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  12. Ellen,
    What a great idea. We have some things but I have to go through them, after Faith gets back from surgery. By the way, I am still having a contest over at my blog for all the Miracle Veterans out there!

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  13. Um, I organized my sock drawer this week. AND my underwear drawer. Oh man... To my credit, now I can close those drawers, so that's a good thing. :)

    Great idea about the Swap Shop!

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  14. That's so awesome! I wish there were more people like you!

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  15. Ask Hope if she wants the gait trainer. I think that's the kind she wants/needs for her daughter Ava. I think she reads your blog but it wouldn't hurt for you two to get in touch her blog is hopeandava.blogspot

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  16. Don't forget that 5 Minutes For Special Needs is also set up for this very thing. You may want to touch base with the new Editor about getting it going!

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  17. You are brilliant!! A swap shop is perfect. Everything is so expensive and I know there are parents out there like us who do not qualify for any assistance. We're poor but not poor enough. I have a books that don't really apply to us. Let me know. I love you for this idea. This could get really big!!

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  18. First, I love the picture of Max in the laundry basket. I've got some cutes ones of my guy riding around in one too.
    Second, your swap shop idea is an awesome one. I don't have anything to trade or need anything but what an awesome thoughtful idea!

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Thanks for sharing!