This month, for the
Sensory Blog Hop, I thought I’d keep it light. Well, at least as light as it is
possible to be when certain things that
other people barely notice can make you completely nuts. Those tiny crumbs of
cheese or vegetable dust from eating any sort of snack food that has a tasty
coating (my favorites are Pirate’s or Veggie Booty; this category also includes
Smartfood, Cheetos, Cheez Doodles…) that get on my hands make me CRAZY.
Here are some
similar things I am actively choosing NOT to write about, or even think about,
beyond this paragraph: unidentified particles on bare feet (there’s a long-told
story in my family of how I stepped into a small puddle of water in the kitchen
once and screamed. Well…yeah. Right?); seeing Booty Crumbs on someone else’s
hands (shudder). This latter is a particular issue as my son falls on the
strongly not-noticing Booty Crumbs
(or any schmutz, anywhere) end of the Spectrum.
I imagine – the
operative word being imagine – that a
“normal” response to Booty Crumbs would be to notice a mild dust on your digits
and brush it off or calmly wait until you have a chance to wash your hands. As
in, not be completely consumed by the awareness thereof?
Figure I – Booty
Crumbs, Typical
That’s not an
option for me. The surface of the skin is an information-rich field. When I
have Booty Crumbs, I can feel them (whispery, tickly, dirty), smell them
(cheesysour), see them (ew! Scandalous!), taste them (still in my mouth, but
also from smelling), even hear them (that oily-dusty
sound)…Consequently, if I have Booty Crumbs, I cannot stop thinking about
said Booty Crumbs.
Figure II – Booty
Crumbs, Sensory Sensitive
Like anyone, I like
to eat a nice snack of cheesy or vegetal goodness. The various Booty snack
foods are a common part of our family snacking habits. Yet how can I function
when there are Booty Crumbs? I cannot.
But! I have the
answer! Being a bit slow on the uptake, largely because I am often overwhelmed
by feelings and environment, it has taken me, ohhhh, 45 years to, first,
realize why I felt so discombobulated every time I had a snack of this sort,
and, then, to come up with a solution: “drink” my snacks out of a cup.
Happy snacking –
and please do check out the links below.
Coming up next: THE
COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT!!!!
Love,
Full Spectrum Mama
P.S. I didn't
receive any compensation or incentive from the snack company that makes
Pirate’s and Veggie Booty, I just thought Booty Crumbs sounded better than
Cheez Doodle Crumbs as a title – AND this is the snack food I actually eat, because I am crunchy.
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Ah, the crumbs! Great post. My son is also in the NOT-noticing camp, while my husband and I are more sensitive. Mostly to the touch. We are currently on spring break, beachside, which combines the joy of being near the ocean with the aggravation of battling those little bits of sand on a tile floor. ....and on the couch, bed, chairs...aaarrrrgggghhhh!
ReplyDeleteI could have written a whole post about grit.
ReplyDeleteBetter not think about that right now - it's only manageable when compensated for by BEACH. Happy travels!
Love,
FSM
Great solution! We are always trying to find great alternatives to the things that drive our son crazy while others seem to not notice. I, too, can't stand the feeling of the nitty gritty on my hands.
ReplyDeleteThanks - it's been a revelation for me ;)
DeleteLove,
FSM
I always, always love reading your posts! Funny but a great reminder about how the "little things" that barely register with some of us really are a whole-body sensory bombardment for others. Booty crumbs definitely annoy me, but my son is more in your category!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!
DeleteYes, mere annoyance would be an improvement ;)
Love,
FSM
I have a problem with the crumbs too. But I usually just wash my hands right away or use lots of hand sanitizer until I can wash my hands. Usually this means I'm washing my hands every few minutes when I'm eating or cleaning or anything like that. So far washing my hands a lot has worked for me, but I do have a problem with dry skin sometimes because of it.
ReplyDeleteDrinking the food instead has never worked for me because it just feels weird. But we all have our own solutions, right? :)
It DOES feel weird to drink. And it's awkward to get it in your mouth &c.
DeleteI mostly find myself snacking in the car chauffeuring kids around so i can't wash my hands; and then i am phobic about hand sanitizer chemicals so.......drinking solids it is ;)
Love,
FSM
Haha "Booty Crumbs". Addicted to that stuff myself, HATE the mess. And don't get me started on particles of indeterminate origin under bare feet. *shudder*
ReplyDeleteAs far as the first thing goes, I may or may not from time to time have been known to put a snack in a bowl and use my tongue to get out the pieces, not unlike a frog catching a fly. Allegedly.
Haha back! Nobody will hear about it from me...But they may or may not find me doing that as well, now that I've heard of it!
DeleteLove,
FSM
I busted out laughing when I read this. I have a draft of a post that is so eerily similar to this. I am a closet OCD and the mess that is my home (living with three boys, one of which is my husband), there are crumbs, dirt, and grime EVERYWHERE! I visibly shake sometimes I get so disgusted and overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteSO, I am very glad to read that I am not alone. Booty crumbs are disgusting!
They are a Public Health Menace!
DeleteYet so few understand...
I'd love to see that post someday,
Love,
A Fellow Closet OCDer
Love hearing what you have to say. Good - bad - or indifferent, my son doesn't notice the crumbs...even on his face, his clothes, the table, etc. :-) Your picture made it make even more sense. Thanks for sharing. Great coping strategies.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI use the "art" to demonstrate the Full Extent of the situation ;)
Maybe soon we can figure out how to get our sons to notice stuff on their hands and faces...my guy is 13 and it's Time!
Love,
FSM
I've tried that. Cups are unreliable. What if the snack falls out? Then, you pick it up unprepared.
ReplyDeleteMy solution is to have a napkin-ish thing on hand and wash hands as close to immediately after finishing the snack as possible.
FYI, with a title like "Booty Crumbs," I thought you were going to go in a very different direction with this piece.
Lol - You are Hilarious. I do try to keep Some things private though I can't say hygiene is a strong suit for some Full Spectrums and I am planning a sequel along those lines. A tasteful sequel.
DeleteI appreciate your suggestion, Stephanie, but with all due respect there are Soooooo many ways to go wrong with napkin. The cup, albeit an imperfect solution (the annoying sharpness of the lip of the cup as you try to get the snack comes to mind) remains my top choice ;)
Love,
FSM
To each her own. ;)
ReplyDelete