While returning home from a family dinner the other night, my 11 year old daughter suddenly spoke up from the back seat.
She asked, “Hey Dad, what’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?”
My husband peered out at the night sky and thought aloud, “Hmmm…”.
Then my son offered his unsolicited opinion when he said, “I know! It was probably when he married mom.”
When I was dating my husband, I fell in love with him because he was kind, handsome and funny, but most of all because he had a mean competitive streak.
The two of us would battle against each other each day to see who would be the first to finish the crossword puzzle from our local paper. It drove him crazy when I beat him. Often.
Our kids have, naturally, inherited our love of games and the good-natured competition that goes with them. This was never more evident than when we purchased our Ninendo Wii Video Game Console.
You just haven’t seen a real game until you’ve seen your 76 year old mother bowling against your 11 year old daughter. Grandma can get a little crazy.
The best part is that we have taken our games off of the dining room table and put them right in the middle of our living room. We ski, play tennis, fly airplanes, fish and drive race cars and we do it together as a family.
The kids love the Wii, because it provides constant entertainment. My husband loves the Wii, because he can occasionally beat our eight year old son at Mario Kart. I love the Wii, because it keeps everyone moving.
Our latest acquisition is Wii Party. I love a good party and I wanted to live up to the game’s name, so that’s exactly what we had. A Wii party! We invited a few friends and their kids over on Saturday afternoon for some family fun.
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| First, we needed sustenance. The pizza went a lot faster than the fruit and veggies though! |
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| We had a TON of laughs creating our Mii characters. Here, my friend tries to imitate the eyes we gave her before she arrived. |
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| The kids got the party started! |
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| A disco ball and balloons make all parties better! |
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| My son listens for animal sounds during Hide and Hunt. The Wii Party version of Hide and Seek! So fun! |
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| The adults enjoy a game of Time Bomb. They need to work on their skills. Just sayin’. |
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| Then we handed out trophies! |
I can honestly say that we have not had that much fun in a long while! We had such a great time that our friend sent us an e-mail the next day and said he’s planning a Wii party at his house. I’m already looking forward to it. After all, I love a good party.
And, a little, friendly competition.
Recently, someone told me that she was glad that women have to wear bras.
When I questioned her logic, and sanity, she explained that she is so happy about wearing a bra because the best feeling in the world is taking it off every night.
That friend of mine? She’s one smart cookie.
Because my son has sensory issues and because he likes to snuggle and rub my flabby arms, even if I’m in my pajamas, I wait to take off my bra until he has gone to bed. The last thing I need is for him to accidentally run his hand a little too far up my sleeve. Then we’d need a whole new kind of therapist. Just sayin’.
The other night, as he was preparing to go to bed, I snuck into my bedroom and removed my bra. As luck would have it…wait…as my luck would have it, when I came in and sat down on the stool in his tiny bathroom, the back of his hand brushed against my B-O-O-B.
He looked up at me and asked, “What’s that?”
I honestly replied, “Well, that’s one of my private parts. That’s my boob.”
Then he reached his hand up and touched my chest and said, “Oh! I thought boobs were supposed to be up here.”
One of my son’s many issues is Sensory Processing Disorder. It affects him in various ways, not the least of which is that certain smells and textures can make him physically ill.
About a month ago he missed a day of school, not because he had a cold, but because we couldn’t get him dressed. He wouldn’t even put on pajamas so that I could take him to my mom’s house. When we tried, he ran to the bathroom with his pants around his ankles and threw up.
On a typical day, it isn’t unusual for him to visit the nurses office because his feet itch. I can’t get him to wear his coat zipped up. He is one of two kids in his private school who don’t have to tuck in their shirts. Seat belts bother him. He didn’t learn to ride a bike until he was seven because we couldn’t get him to wear a bike helmet.
It is heartbreaking and frustrating at the same time.
Not long ago, I was contacted by a representative from Smart Knit Kids asking if I would like to try a pair of their Seamless Sensitivity Socks for my son. I was told that these socks are great for kids with sensory issues or autism because they are form-fitting and won’t bunch up. Also, the design means there are no seams to bother tender feet.
I have to admit that I was skeptical. I mean, sure my kid takes his shoes and socks off as soon as he walks in the door every afternoon and goes barefoot any time he is able. Sure, he won’t wear footies or thick socks. Sure, I had heard that a typical person puts on their socks, then forgets about them, but a person with Sensory Processing Disorder puts on their socks and knows they are there all day long. They never stop feeling the sensation. Still…it seemed over the top to me.
Nevertheless, I told the representative we would try them.
I rarely, if ever, post reviews of products on this page. I would venture to say that 99.9% of you did not come here to read about my son’s socks, but please do me a favor, if you know someone who has a child with sensory issues, tell them about these socks.
They really are seamless, they really don’t fall down and if I didn’t know they were made with polyester and Lycra, I would think they had stitched them out of magic fabric.
My son checks before bed to make sure he has a pair of “lucky socks” to wear to school the next day. Instead of fighting me, he actually begs to wear them. You have no idea how much easier my mornings have become. Did you see what I did there? I just used “easier” and “mornings” in the same sentence. If you don’t believe me, look at all of these testimonials from other parents.
I am not the person who created them, nor am I a representative of the stores which sell them. I am not responsible for marketing them in any way. I am simply the mother of a child who loves these socks. And, that? Makes a big difference in our lives.
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