New "Toy"

It is amazing what our kids find to play with.  Whether it is an empty box or a paper towel roll, they find the simplest things to be the best toys ever.  Luke has found a “new” toy, although this “toy” wasn’t meant to be a toy.  Like so many other things that aren’t intended to be.

Of course this “new” toy is part of the “solution” to our “banging heads” problem.  In Luke’s room we have the mat up on the wall, which is working well, except a couple weeks ago I hear “clink…clink…clink…thunk”.  When I went to investigate I found Luke playing with the bungee cord that holds the top part of the mat against the wall.  He had gotten up on his knees and was playing with the “hook” part of the bungee cord…like he was trying to get it “unhooked” from the wall or something.

Then the other day I hear Luke wake up, laughing and then I hear him “playing” with the end of the bungee cord.  Then he was quiet and all of a sudden I hear a loud “THUNK”, which is a very different sound, followed by Luke’s laugh.  I then heard it again, “THUNK” and laughter.  So at this point I went to investigate, since I couldn’t figure out what he was doing exactly.  I just knew it wasn’t the “boom” sound I hear when he hits his feet on the mat and it wasn’t the “playing” sound I hear when he messes with the end of the bungee cord.

So I open Luke’s door just in time to see that he has a hold of the bungee cord with both hands, and he leans back and then releases the cord.  The result, was a loud “THUNK” sound…and of course Luke laughed. 

The whole thing reminded me of when I would help out with a summer camp.  We would fill up a lot of water balloons and then get out these “launchers”.  Then we would play a game where one team would stand completely still while the other “launched” their water balloons at the opposite team.  In order to get a good shot you had two people hold either end of the “launcher” and one person would put the water balloon in the cradle part and then one person would pull downwards as far as possible and then “launch” the balloon.

That is exactly how Luke looked.  I did manage to get a video of him doing this so you can really see what I am trying to describe.  Although, Luke took his time getting everything just right before “launching” his bungee cord so before seeing him “launch” at the mat he has to rearrange his pillow and blanket.