Sunday, March 13, 2011

Precision car racing

During the month of February, I think our family has had more illnesses than we have ever had before in that period of time. Nothing was dramatic or terrible, but we have passed around major head colds, high fevers, a flu bug as well as assorted other small things. I thought we were done, but unfortunately Tom came down with a high fever again this week. With medication, he was fine, but he was obviously tired and I didn't want him to pass whatever virus he had to the rest of the first and second grade, so he stayed home. While he used to spend hours at home alone with Mom every day, now he is used to having friends around and school work to do. He wasn't real impressed with the idea of entertaining himself, but after watching a movie and realizing Mom wasn't going to stop everything to entertain, he brought out his matchbox cars. He used to spend hours with his cars and took them everywhere. He still enjoys them, but he hasn't played as much with them lately as he has been absorbed with legos and plastic animals when he isn't playing ball. He used to enjoy racing his cars a lot, but I haven't seen him do it in a while. When I saw what he was up to, I grabbed the camera, as it is a very unique racing game and so very telling of our son's personality! The game always involves ALL the matchbox cars. They are all lined up at one end of the couch (starting line) then over an extended period of time (20 minutes or so) Tom moves them all centimeter by centimeter through the race. Over time, the cars get more and more spread out. He usually asks whoever is around, "Which one do you think will win?" We always guess incorrectly as the leader never wins due to elaborate car crashes, and come from behind moves which are all played out in slow motion as the car pack travels up one arm and across the back of each adjoining chair to go down the next arm (note the cars still below on the arm). I have seen the race continue over the entire set of living room furniture and across the floor to end at the piano, this day, the race ended at the second chair. It is amazing to me how much time and attention he can spend moving each car forward just minimal amounts over and over again. If he doesn't grow up to do a precision filled job I will eat his orange racing car!

1 comment:

  1. All I can say is, I miss the Rideout family!!! I love how he plays cars that way.

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