Their Boxes are Their Boxes

I am sure there are mothers who devote significant time and energy to projects like the Valentine's Day box. Accross America these moms probably have a shelf in the supply closet devoted to projects such as this. Those shelves are probably full of things like glitter and glue and string and felt and paint and pipe cleaners. At my house, project materials come from the kitchen or the scrapbook supplies. I won't be featured by Martha Stewart anytime soon, but the kids surround me in a flurry of excitement anyway. So, I wrapped some boxes with foil, let the kids choose their stickers, and turned them loose to decorate. I mean, that was my intention. Jaron chose a John Deere theme. He placed a tractor on top first thing, and then he started sticking all of these little tool stickers right up next to it. I said, "Jaron, I really think you need to space out your stickers a little bit." He placed a hammer sticker on the steering wheel and said, "But I am working on my tractor here." Of course he was. Like his grandpa has worked on tractors my whole life. He is Grandpa's buddy. How adorable is that?

Why should he space out his stickers on the box? Are things like balance and coordinating colors supposed to be important to him just because they are important to me? Sometimes it is hard for me to step back and keep my advice to myself. I find myself encouraging the kids to do things like I would do them instead of asking them for their own ideas. So I chose to leave the big kids alone to finish their boxes and gave Megan her bath and bedtime bottle. I think sometimes their ideas are better than mine anyway. Their boxes are their boxes. They are exactly as they wanted them. And do you know what? They are absolutely adorable.