Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Precious

Several months ago, Lefty brought a giant box home from his lab, and he and The Kid made it into a fort. They would both crawl inside – it was a boys only fort. They cut windows into the side and made a handle for the door. The Kid drew pictures on the wall. After a week or so, through some sort of good behavior, I was allowed into the fort with a special ticket.

Eventually, The Kid moved on to other games and the box sat in the front room of our house (we are very grand – we call it "the parlor") until October when my mother was coming for a visit and I cajoled/nagged Lefty until he agreed to get it out of there. It sat in the backyard until this weekend.


In preparation for our semi-annual bulky garbage pickup, we hauled it out to the curb (no cardboard recycling in San Antonio, it's barbaric) where it sat for a couple of days awaiting the promised pickup.


Enter The Kid on his way back to school this morning. He walked past the box that has been sitting on the curb for TWO DAYS and he stopped. He turned to look at me with a face full of righteous indignation and betrayal. "You're throwing that away? But Mama, it has my artwork in it." At this point, big innocent tears began to roll down his sweet cheeks. "You said my artwork was PRECIOUS to you. Please don't throw it awaaaaaaay!"

We are, mind you, on our way to the car to go to school – where we have to be in just a few minutes.


I tried tough mom, "Please calm down. We have to go. We'll talk about it later." more tears and wailing "noooooooo."


I look at my watch. I am now in the backseat with him, handing him tissues and I realize that I have to give in a little bit or I will be there forever and ever and ever. I said slowly, "Okay. I will get the scissors and cut your artwork OUT of the box when I get home. Please blow your nose." And with a rousing chorus of, "Oh, thank you, Mom" we were off to school.


When I got home I Iooked at the box which smelled like damp cardboard and the neighbor's dog's pee and said to Lefty, "I guess I'll go in and (sigh) get the scissors." Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, I remembered - It's 2008 and I have A DIGITAL CAMERA! So I fetched it, took shots of the artwork and was able to prove to The Kid that I had preserved it for all posterity.





2 comments:

  1. Hurray for digital cameras!!! You are a very nice Mom for even considering saving the box. I am not nearly so nice.

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  2. You little technology hussy...you realize this is just the beginning, don't you?

    Love the art!

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