Play Ball!

Our summer schedule doesn't leave much time for fun, but I am careful to always give Morey a chance to play ball and get exercise. (Just because I create a crazy schedule that doesn't leave any extra time for fun, doesn't mean Morey should be deprived of his playtime!). Luckily there is an outdoor track and lacrosse field directly across from the School of Social Work and so after class Morey and I head over for some ball time. We both love the "Flinger" he got for Christmas from Grandma; I can throw the ball farther with much less effort. During the day it is too hot to play ball, so it works out well to have time in the evening when it is cooler.

The Flinger is long and hard for me to carry. As I was struggling to balance it on my lap I looked down at Morey who was carrying his tennis ball and realized he could carry his own toy. He is more than willing to carry it because it means playtime is coming!

After class I stop by my van to drop off my backpack and books and to pick up the ball and Flinger. I keep the Flinger in the seat pouch in my van and I can't reach it without transferring into the van. It's much easier to ask Morey to jump in the van and get it. The first few times it was difficult to direct him to what I wanted him to "get" because it wasn't on the floor like most of the items I usually ask him to retrieve. He has learned the trial and error process of hovering over an item and waiting for a "that's it" from me before actually picking up the item and moving on to something else if I don't respond. Getting the Flinger required him to look up, which is not part of his usual process. However, he kept at it and once he realized the items on the floor were not what I wanted, he expanded his search. I was watching him closely and when he looked at the Flinger I gave him an encouraging "that's it" and he grabbed it and pulled it from the pouch! Success! Now that he has that figured out it doesn't take him long to grab his ball and Flinger and for us to be on the way to playing some ball.