Pretend play

I was sitting in front of the computer during a break from our study session when my son came and swaddled me with a comforter.  After failing to keep the comforter from sliding down my shoulder, he decided to fasten it around me with Snoopy clothespins.  These are the same clothespins he uses for pincer grasp exercises.

My son catches me taking pictures using the webcam.

He thinks more clothespin are necessary.

Was he thinking of the cocoon in "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book?  Did he get inspiration from "The Emperor's New Groove," the movie he was watching when he turned his attention to me?  Who was he pretending to be, and what was my role?  I would really like to know, but his communication skills are very limited.  Perhaps someday, when he can already talk and I show him these pictures, he may be able to explain why he had me wrapped in a comforter.  When that time comes, I will tell him that the other reason why I took pictures of this moment was because this was the very first time I saw him play with the clothespins voluntarily.

A Gripping Activity

When I first saw the fish-shaped container filled with soy sauce in my bento box, I thought of two possibilities: (a) the soy sauce can be bought already packed in the tiny tubes or (b) the empty containers are available in the supermarket and those selling the bento boxes had to put soy sauce in each of them.  Even though I lived in Japan for three years, I never got to ask any of my Japanese friends for the right answer, but I found out that the empty soy-sauce containers are indeed being sold in 100-yen stores.  I am so glad that they are also available in Japanese products stores here in Thailand.

I bought some of these containers for use in activities that aim to strengthen my son's pincer grip.  He hated the other pincer grip activities I had him perform in the past, and although he was following the instructions, he was also whining the whole time:  A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Woe-hoe-hoe-hoe-hoe-hoe.  Woe-hope!  Peep-peeeeeeeeeep. Woe-hope!  Oh-nen-nen, how-wha-way.

To fill the containers, he needed to first squeezing them to force the air out. He had to dip the container in the colored water, and then release the pressure so the liquid can get in.

He had to try several times before succeeding in making the liquid enter the container, but he persevered.  I also observed that he had lots of difficulty manipulating the tiny lids, but he managed to open and close the containers.  He tends to get frustrated easily, so I am amazed that he finished this activity without the need for the usual prompting and encouragement from me.