fun and games for everyone

[phinnia]

Seaners' latest idea of fun is something we call 'the squishing game'. He made this up, of course. He makes up most or all of his games, and eventually we figure them out, and then the cycle repeats itself.

The squishing game is like this: adult sits on the front portion of the sofa. Child (who is being "sneaky") ducks behind adult, all while trying not to laugh or flail too much. (the attempt at sneakiness is often not so good. Stealth is not generally one of Seaners' best tactics.) But anyway.

The adult person leans back and Seaners gets squished into the sofa. This is called fun. (it's actually all about deep-muscle pressure stimulation. it's an autism/sensory sensitivity thing.)

A popular variation includes daddy lying on the sofa and refusing to move. sean attempts to get him to move forward into playing the squishing game by using various techniques (trying to trick him by saying he wants food, dragging on his arms and legs, giving him more snuggles (this is one of Sean's long standing manipulative techniques; if you don't do what he wants, you just MIGHT if he snuggles you more), occasionally tickling, etc. etc.

And when dad is not home, Seaners plays the squishing game with his little Dr. Seuss dude (gift from mholmesiv, silenceleigh and zaratyst this past Christmas) with himself playing the role of 'dad' and the little dude playing the role of 'seaners'. this is pretty awesome because pretend play isn't something he really 'got' for a while. he also likes the weighted blanket that gizmometer made.

Babysitters ask us about his favorite things to do. it gets kind of weird and awkward. "Yes, he likes listening to music - no, not Raffi, not High School Musical, no, he likes romanian disco and AC/DC and the Decemberists - stimming with crinkly paper and toothbrush cases, and being smushed. And jumping up and down on the loveseat in the corner. we let him because he's already killed the springs in that one."

Comments

[rusted-halo.livejournal.com]

Reading this just made me incredibly happy but words can't explain why. Thank you, though.

*hugs*

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

yay. <3 you're very welcome. i'm glad. it's actually hilarious to watch, because the kid gets so UTTERLY EXCITED and flails and wiggles around. he's such a dork. <3

[rusted-halo.livejournal.com]

happy kids make me happy :) my favourite sound in the world is my friend's 4 year-old's laugh. That kid is so happy and laughs so easily. He loves almost everyone and has no fear about striking up a conversation with anyone of any age or gender or race. I fear the day when he loses that, but revel in the times I can witness it.

[phelyan.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. As I was reading this post then smile on my face just got bigger and bigger. I think I've said it before, it's because of the love I feel coming from it.

[californiaquail.livejournal.com]

I have actually heard Romanian disco. I had a friend in high school who was from Romania. Isn't the Numa Numa song Romanian?

This reminds me of the games my sister and I would make up. We had one that involved pulling the other person down the driveway in the radioflyer, at maximum speed, and then throwing the handle down, so that it would hit the crack in the pavement, forcing the wagon to stop abruptly.

We were poor.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

yes! we have the cd by the band that did the numa numa song (o-zone). that's one of his favorites.
i grew up in central canada so most of my winters included flinging myself down a hill on one of those uber-slippery sleds with some kind of thorny bush at the bottom (and shortly beyond a small marsh/pond area). in the summer i used to just roll down. (we didn't have a hell of a lot of money either. <3)

[californiaquail.livejournal.com]

We also used to ride shopping carts down a steep hill.

How is it that we're not dead?

[lana-ftw.livejournal.com]

I'm going to jump in and add that we used to ride shopping carts down steep hills/driveways, the fun part being when you crossed the street, slammed into the curb, and flew out of the cart into the grass. It was our absurd version of the long jump. WTF.

That said, this is one of the best posts I've seen in a long time. ADORABLE <3

[californiaquail.livejournal.com]

We were Jackass, before there was Jackass.

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

Is that song "Dragostea Din Tei?" I don't have anything else by them yet, but would like to. What do you think of their cd?

[presocratic.livejournal.com]

Rolling down hills! You just named my favorite game as a child. :D Although some of the joy was lost whenever you accidentally rolled over a prickly or otherwise rash-inducing plant.

[newtypeshadow.livejournal.com]

OMG Seaners's games ftw! This new game sounds ridiculously cute. *snuggles you all*

[frankincensy.livejournal.com]

Oh man... I may not be on the autistic spectrum (was diagnosed with Asperger's, diagnosis later refuted), but sensory sensitivity definitely rings true, and being squished under something heavy is absolutely one of the most calming, reassuring things ever. I've tried to do it on my own by crawling under my mattress, but it doesn't exert enough pressure. Hm, must figure this out.

And I agree with oo_mrs_z_oo; there is just something very happy-making about this post. <3

[littlemissgg.livejournal.com]

This post made me incredibly happy. I'm not sure why but it sounds very happy and positive and also 'pretent play' was my big thing as a child so I'm happy Seaners is enjoying it too!
x

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

So. Fracking. Cute!!!!

[machineplay.livejournal.com]

*glee* I LOVE that he plays with his doll! <3 Eee. You should get a pic of him a Dr. Seuss Dude so I can see what DSD looks like. I have some knitted doll patterns that might amuse him.

[amy-119.livejournal.com]

Hee!! That is so adorable! You should take video of that. <3

[amenquohi.livejournal.com]

Those sound like perfectly lovely ways to pass the time to me. Tony likes us to pretend that we're giving his stuffed kitty some nosedrops (we do this a few to several times every day). We pretend squirt the saline in, then kitty sneezes a lot, and we wipe her nose. All while Tony laughs hysterically, of course.