Car Bag

I think that most people, whether or not they have children, have heard of the following scenario:
A young child gets a present for Christmas/Birthday/Other and is more interested in playing with the box than the toy that was inside it.

Now, couple a child's intuitive response to packaging with watching new episodes of Bob The Builder, which emphasizes the environmentally-friendly theme "reduce, re-use, recycle."

And what do you get?

Big Brother's new "Car Bag."

Anyone still scratching their heads? Here's the scoop:

Big Brother is a fan of the Disney/Pixar movie Cars, and has accumulated a modest collection of die-cast vehicles from the movie. He used to carry them around in a small, Cars-themed lunch box. That lunch box went by-the-way-side after it was played with so much that the hinges broke off, rendering the box unusable.

Out of the blue, Big Brother recently transformed an empty, individual-sized bag of Baked Lays from his favorite restaurant, Subway, into a replacement for this Cars lunch box.

In Big Brother's own words, "it used to be a Chip Bag, but now it's a Car Bag."

Okay, who am I to argue with him?

For the past 10 days or so, he takes his Car Bag with him EVERYWHERE (including in the car. Should it be called just a Bag at that point?)

Granted, it's not the flashiest way to tote your cars around, but he has learned something about reducing waste and reusing things. In fact, he's quite happy and proud about his Car Bag. I don't think we could've bought him anything he'd like better.

Secretly, I know that Mom-E would like to throw away the Car Bag. (It's okay, Mom-E, I know you well and I understand you.) Even though the chips were Baked Lays, I wonder about how greasy the cars are getting in there, and all of the places in the magic Land of Home to where that grease might travel?

(Right now, Mom-E is thinking "my desire to throw away the Car Bag has nothing to do with the grease. I have a bag of Baked Lays that pretty much lives in my kitchen that I can't throw away.")

I think we're both resisting throwing it away at this point out of fear of trampling on Big Brother's ego. My guess is that he would be devastated to the point of "crocodile tears" were he to discover that it'd been throw away.

And so, yet again, I find myself amazed by my child's ability to think creatively and use his imagination. It's reminded me to think about all of the excesses in my life (the "things" we have but really don't add value to our lives), and to see possibility and utility where others see "waste." Both are good reminders during this Lenten season.

Pass me a chip--I mean car--please, Big Brother. Thanks, buddy.

Here's to a new week. Enjoy the adventure,
Busy-Dad-E