A Box Problem

Paul helped Audrey build a box house months ago. It's been sitting there crowding the play room and to be honest she doesn't play in it unless someone else is at our house. I finally told her that the box was going to get the boot. After all, she has this beautiful tepee that serves the same purpose. I mentioned it in an effort to prepare her. She has a hard time letting go of things that I would consider trash.

Well, this last week I was going through baby clothes and all sorts of things. I had a lot of stuff I was going to get rid of and a bunch of stuff that I was going to throw away. Audrey asked if she could have one of the boxes to draw on. I was happy to give it to her. I knew that she would have hours of fun ahead of her coloring and making the box her own.

Well that box stayed in my living room for days until I couldn't take it anymore and put it upstairs in the playroom. Later that day when I went upstairs to help Audrey clean up. I now had two boxes in my playroom and I couldn't do it. A playroom is for toys...right?  I told her if we kept every box that we wouldn't have any place for her toys anymore.

It will be fun, I said. We'll take pictures of it, I said. You will remember them forever, I said. She agreed. I started taking pictures.  She wanted some of herself playing in the house, and then as I ripped the tape off to take pictures of the inside.  The crying began, and it didn't stop. Mom, I made this with Daddy, she said. I love this house, she said. We can't throw it away, I want to keep it forever, she said. And then my Mom heart couldn't take it anymore. I struck a bargain and we threw away the smaller box and kept the box house. I'm itching to throw it away. For now it's safe, but only because I love this little pumpkin more than anything in the world aside from her Daddy.

Watch your back little box house!