From airplanes and ice cream shops to helmets and armor, cardboard serves us well. In addition to three-dimensional creations, we’ve used cardboard to draw, paint and print on. The options are endless! I’m always hesitant to toss boxes because new cardboard creations seem to be continually in the works.
One of my favorite children’s books relevant to this theme is Not a Box
I first painted wooden peg gnomes two years ago as party favors. I have finally found time to make some more and share them yet again. This time they are featured at Paper + Cloth: Stash. They are happy little guys full of whimsy and charm. We have numerous peg people floating around our house. They are well worn and played with often, if not daily.
It’s been amazing to have a yard once again. I don’t need to orchestrate trips to the playground, walks about town or adventures to the beach, although that last one is still irresistible. Whether the sun is out or not, the kids are self directed much of the day, create their own sense of rhythm and check in only to be fed or for a little bit of help.
They have a dirt pile where they dig, garden and build magical fairy houses bedecked with rock beds and leaves of pillows. We often contemplate whether the fairies will make it their home. How could they resist these beautiful houses made with tender care? It’s truly a gift to have space where the children are free to be.
Right before Christmas, I was compelled to take a doll making class. All we had at home was a plastic, rubbery doll called Lucy. She is very loved, but we missed a softer, more traditional waldorf style doll — hence my mission to make a heavy baby doll. Doll making is not my thing, but I am happy, and my children are too, to have this new baby among us. He has been cuddled, worn, heated up in the microwave, slept with and, indeed, loved.
My little 4 year old timidly found a spot among the bigger people so he could watch Calder's circus at the museum. He was enamored, agape and purely laughed at moments I could not relate to. There was such sweetness and newness in these moments as he stared up at the big screen.
Most likely inspired by the recent visits to the Calder exhibit, Cooper decided he would like to sculpt wire. So, we took a trip to the hardware store, browsed the wire section and finally decided upon two types of wire and wire clippers. Promptly upon arriving home, he set to work, quietly shaping lengths of wire into increasingly complicated shapes. The thinner, more malleable wire did the trick.
Folded from waxy paper, little (and bigger) paper boats float in the sink or tub, bubbles and all. They require a gentle touch, often get misshapen and sometimes are too waterlogged for refolding. Despite these downfalls, we continue to enjoy indoor sailing.
On the same day we collected leaves (back in the fall), we also collected a couple of handfuls of chestnuts and their prickly shells. I often wondered why I was keeping these little guys around — they continually, and noisily, made their way onto and across the floor. When I watched my youngest play with our collection, I knew they were worth having around. It was amazing to witness the quiet contemplation of (at the time) an almost 2 year old, as he sorted, placed and sorted again all the chestnuts within reach. There was such beauty in the simplicity of the task at hand.
