A Special Find
May 31, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Charlisms, New Jersey, Parenting, Sensory, Toys, Travel
So what do you think this is?
Click on “Read more” to find out (but take a guess first.)
Yes, it is egg crate foam, the kind you can use as a mattress pad or to absorb sound. Or, for a little sensory enjoyment—there’s the foam and the “eggs” and the whole bouncy feel of things.
No, we didn’t go out and buy an egg crate pad—-Charlie found it “inside.”
Yes, there’s a story.
There was a double futon that Jim and I bought before Charlie was born at a store in Kirkwood, Missouri. Like a good number of our possessions, the futon made the trip from that apartment to a rental house in University City (near the Delmar Loop in St. Louis). Then it was moved by Red Ball movers up to the second floor of a lovely duplex in St. Paul, Minnesota (the Merriam Park neighborhood, if you know St. Paul). Then it went (this time the movers were Allied) back to Missouri, to a tiny suburb next to Kirkwood called Glendale. And then (via movers whose name I can’t remember) it went east to central Jersey and then northwards to a town not so far from New York and then we went back out to the deeper Jersey suburbs again…… So this futon and its frame have had a bit of an odyssey, just like our faithful green car.
For the past two weekends, Charlie has been pulling the futon off the frame, lying on the curved surface, and somehow unzipping the insides. Last weekend I found him resting his hands and arms on a secret find within—-the yellow egg crate foam, and a big smile on his face: He’d found another way to “self-swaddle.” I’d hardly had the inclination to look at the innards of a futon and my every sense (smell, in particular) told me, this thing has molded, it needs to go!.
So Charlie and I spent the better part of last Sunday afternoon pulling out the stuffing, bagging it in garbage bags (which Charlie carried out one by one over his shoulder and carefully stacked in a leaning tower in the garbage can, with the lid posed a bit precariously on top), and vacuuming. When that was all done, the only thing left was the bare wooden futon frame, the blue cover with the delicate pink and black pattern, and two huge sheets of egg crate foam.
Which Charlie sandwiched himself between, lying on his stomach and laughing at how he’d found something so good inside all that dust and fluff.
Jeff Stimpson
Jill Cornfield
Sounds like a fun time for both of you. I redecorated living room last week to make room for a new leather reclining chair. We have always had two couches and I wanted a chair to rest on. In August we will be in this rental duplex house ten long years. Matthew and the cat both were scared of the chair at first and both are taking baby steps toward it. The cat got on Nick’s lap today on the chair and was quickly removed. Matt has touched it each time he skps by to get to the door to touch the wall and back he goes to bedroom to watch video and rock chair along the way.
I have an air mattress that I used to have out in the computer room for them to bounce on. Awhile ago I was measuring the bed since I think it is time again to move bed. Matt’s head is under the window A/C and on the other side of the window is a driveway and I dont like those people and too worried about what they may do. My rent was just increased another $55 so time to check out craigslist and see what is out there.
When I was a kid I built forts with the couch cushions.
With cans of soup and peas and corn I built castles.
Amazing what opened eyes and hearts can find. THX for sharing your story.