Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Hoarding Gene

There are moments in my life when I speak to my son and I have to rub my eyes in a cartoonish way to make sure that it isn't my husband standing in front of me. Monday was one of those times. My husband came home work early and I went out to get some things for the house. I bought several picture frames and some baskets. Two of the frames were quite large (8x10 and 10x13) and they came with cardboard corner protectors and very large, bright pictures of flowers. After I got home, I sat on the couch and began dismantling my packages. I had all of my photos ready to put in frames and had to remove the protective corners, the plastic wrap and the faux photo inside the frame. I made a trash/recycle pile next to me as I worked.

My son (5) walked into the living room and stopped when he saw my pile.

Son: Mommy, what are those? (points to the pile of cardboard corner protectors and faux pictures)

Me: It's trash honey.

Son: (baffled) Why?

Me: Because it is just the wrapping on the frames I bought.

Son: Can I have it?

Me: (equally baffled) Why?

Son: So I can make a boat.

Me: What?

Son: I can make a boat with a pretty flower sail and skyscraper edges. For you Mommy, for you.

Me: (giving my husband the evil eye for passing this gene on to my son and secretly fearing he'd end up like that Oprah hoarder lady)OK. I'll save it for you.

Son: I'm gonna need some tape.

Me: I bet you are.

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is the recycled frame packaging skyscraper boat. It's really not half bad and took some major creativity.




4 comments:

  1. What can I possibly say? When I hear these stories of heredity, I can only swell with pride. Maybe Sean can make help Truman frame this masterpiece.

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  2. Truman is not a hoarder in any way- wow- he is creative J!! And make this boat for his mommy, how sweet!!!

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  3. Your son's first cousin shares half of the same gene pool...and he too is always collecting trash/treasure and making something. I have never thought of it as hoarding (I realize that comes from the other half of the pool!)...although I shudder at the germs lurking in some of his findings. Instead I call him "my little engineer" and brag about his "inventor" mindset. I already have 2 grown daughters pursuing the arts, so I am using a different tack this time around : )

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  4. Beware! That way lies madness (says the woman who is being crowded out of house and home by aircraft made out of duct tape, craft sticks, cardboard, and empty oatmeal containers).

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