Abi's Tap Shoes

Last week I was in Goodwill when out of the corner of my eye I spotted these beauties. 

Thinking they were a good pair of neutral flats, I picked them up to see if they would fit Abi and discovered not only were they the right size but they were TAP SHOES. TAP. SHOES.

This was monumental for a few reasons.

Abi loves loud SOUNDS and since we are working on mobility, I thought tap shoes could be an awesome motivation.  We recently got a walker called a “kid-walk” (thanks to the amazing community of special needs mamas in this town).  This amazing piece of equipment holds her upright and allows her torso to be totally secure while she explores the mobility of her legs. She LOVES to kick when she’s lying down or in her chair. Now if we can get her to do that upright, I think the possibilities are endless . SO I figure if she likes the sounds of the tap shoes on the floor, she might be enticed to bring those kicking skills into our time with the walker.  “KICK! KICK! KICK! MARCH! MARCH! MARCH!”  These are our new favorite phrases -- Followed by lots of clapping and us both laughing. Right now I’m still putting her feet a little bit behind her and letting her feel what it’s like to push off on her own and roll backwards a little. Today I saw her trying to move forward a bit when I was out of her view. A little independent exploration is so very very awesome to see. 

Meanwhile, I found my own tap shoes in the back of my closet. Abi laughs hysterically every time I walk in them. This is going to be a fun and *noisy* summer. 

mae mae