The Art of Crafty Kiddo Compromise

BirdMan has a new found obsession. He has always been into building and stacking things. His ability to see a drawing in 2 dimensions and then transfer it in his head to 3 dimensions is uncanny. He is a visual-spatial learner (like his mother).

I thought we had satiated this need to build through the buckets of building blocks, K'nex and legos. There is no telling how much money we have tied up into those top of the line toys. It turns out he is having more fun with something much more low tech.

Garbage.

Yep, garbage. I'm living with a seven year old dumpster diver.

Every time I turn around he's pulled something out of the trash. Today I found a cake mix box, a pudding box, 2 grocery sacks, my cereal box, the orange juice box and 5 plastic cups. They've all been cut down into smaller pieces and taped back together in various ways.




They've found new life as
1) ramp 2) tunnel 3) helicopter 4) truck
5) Mr. Kitty's armor.


It all started with a book he found at the library called Vroom, Vroom. Now I'm as much into creativity as the next mommy but rededicated trash pushes my limits.

Plus, I just found the new eggs I bought at Kroger piled in a Tupperware container so that he could use the egg carton to make a ship!

Not one to let any craft project pass her by, GooseyGirll got into the act. She snuck into the pantry, removed the Asian noodles from the noodle box, and quietly made her way to the craft supply drawer. I would have taken me much longer to discover the raid had she not bounced off the wall with pride and come running to show me her creation.

"Look, Mommy! I made a Norse boat!", she exclaimed.

I had to think for a minute. On the one had she should get into a bit of trouble for liberating the noodles from their well deserved home. But on the other hand, she made a Norse boat for goodness sake! How can you not be impressed by that?!?

(I was going to post a picture of it but she wanted to see if it would float and apparently Norse boats are exactly sea worthy when made out of a cardboard Asian noodle box.)

In the end, I've promised them that I'll set aside the clean garbage for them to root through so long as they leave my eggs and noodles alone. Good compromise, don't you think?