Joyous Expressions

Every child has their own special temperament and Alex is no exception. He is generally quiet and stays close to mom during our visit. After making home visits this fall, Alex was just beginning to warm up to me and even gave me a hug before our Christmas break. After Christmas, our home visits were like starting over in establishing rapport and trust. But this week Alex forgot about being "shy" as he became totally engrossed in our activity. The lesson was about puzzles and one-to-one correspondence using a 6 hole muffin tin and 7 tennis balls. Even though the lesson was a quiet floor activity, Alex made it a gross motor game. He tossed the balls to me then waited expectantly as I threw all 7 balls in the air. He giggled and ran around the apartment gathering them back up with much exaggeration. We all laughed with Alex as he experienced a freedom of expression that brought an obvious joy so evident in his play. MJ