The Enigmatic Tennis Shoe

We have been working on some new skills with Seth, such as getting dressed by himself and opening granola bars without eating through the wrapper. I had expected it to be rather straight forward, but Seth seems to be struggling with the concept of shoe removal. The velcro straps are not the problem, though they can frustrate him by relatching as soon as he undoes them as if they are also magnetic. It is the second (and final) step that continually gives him grief. Though we have practiced in slow motion many times, the actual removal of the shoe remains a mystery. This afternoon while I was busy with Benjamin, Seth was suddenly adamant about removing his shoes so I tried to talk him through it. He quickly undid all of the straps and then stood there looking down at them as if they should do the decent thing and disappear. He next tried stomping. Amazingly, after a few tries, one fell off. I think it surprised him even though that's what he was intending to do, because he got very still again and stared at it. He processed this new breakthrough for several seconds and then began stomping his other foot very fast in a kind of rhythmic dance all around the house. It looked very much like some sort of Native American ritual, which actually makes some sense if you are under the impression that shoes must be removed by magic. The second shoe was a little more stubborn but eventually the gods must have responded because when he came back into the room his foot had been released from bondage. I think Seth really believes he has finally solved the mystery, and I won't be surprised if in the future he resists instruction in any other method. It isn't really a problem since his way seems to be just as effective and almost as fast, but I think he'll eventually find that it isn't the quickest or most effective way to impress the ladies.