Transitions

Malcolm has become very routine oriented at transitions. When we leave his sitter's house he has to give Slim Skeleton's arm back to his sitter (usually commenting that "Slim so sad, he a crying"), then give his sitter high fives. Once we get out the door he has to "say hi a duck", which is a small concrete duck in their front garden. Then on his way back to the stairs he has to stop and touch the plastic flamingo stuck in a stepping stone and comment that "Hopper afraid of birds". Then it's "I need say hi a soccer ball", which is this sign across the street. He'll go over, touch the ball and the kid's hair, and then usually stand behind it and imitate the kid's position. When he first started doing it he'd even try to balance with one of his legs in the air. But he's truncated the routine now and usually just sticks his arm out, squints his eyes, and smiles.

That used to be the end of the routine, we could then walk back across the street and get in the car. But now he's added on pointing out the hearts on a stepping stone near the soccer ball, and touching a reflector attached to the mailbox at this house. It's getting a bit ridiculous, but thankfully only takes a couple minutes and usually guarantees a pretty happy ride home. A few weeks back he noticed that similar signs had popped up way down the street. I quickly nixed the idea of going and saying hi to those.