It's About The Little Things..
Back in 2007, when he was 3.5yrs old, Boy#2 decided to be a robot.
I handily crafted him a tinfoil covered robot hat out of an old cereal box, a pipe cleaner, and some packing tape. Not wanting him to be left out, I quickly crafted one for his big brother, but he didn't attach to it the way Boy#2 did.
Tinfoil just wasn't his thing.
His homemade hat was the source of a lot of amusement, eventually becoming incorporated into his Halloween costume, also covered in tinfoil -- a costume that launched a 4yr epic-in-the-making of its own, with the final incarnation having ditched the robot hat that inspired it for a dragon's head and glowing teeth.
I can say with complete confidence that he is the only kid to ever have a zombie vampire robot dragon costume for Halloween.
After a 1 year hiatus from cardboard box costumes, he was back at it last year with a desire to be the TARDIS -- it seemed an apt choice for my middle boy, whose capacity for compassion always amazes me. He's a little guy, but he's bigger on the inside, too.
All this time, though, that little tinfoil-covered robot hat was kicking around the house.
Any attempt to recycle it was met with total opposition. Any noticeable damage required packing tape surgery. When I least expected it, someone would ask me where it was.
And then, one day, Boy#3 discovered it...
For an old box, a pipe cleaner, some tinfoil and tape, this homemade hat has gotten a lot of love over the past 7 years -- far more than many of the fancier, more expensive toys my boys have had. I can't help wondering how many more years it will be kicking around.