Thomas the Train Preschool Valentine's Box

My older son came home with a note from his teachers last week asking us to find a box for our child's Valentine's cards.  It was pretty ambiguous as to whether we were supposed to not only find the box but also DECORATE the box.... guess that part didn't matter?  I did think it mattered, since the difference between an ugly brown shoe box and a decorated brown shoe box is embarrassment worthy.  So, I walked into his preschool drop off yesterday fully intending to solve this dilemma. When I arrived, I saw the teacher showing the students a [fully decorated] box that another child had already completed and brought in.  Guess that answered that question.

Glad that I didn't send that brown box into school with my son.  This morning, I set him to work decorating.  But, as is the case with everything these days, he wanted the box to look like Thomas the Tank Engine.  This is always a frustrating situation, because he can't make Thomas himself.  Yet, nothing less than a recognizable copy of Thomas would suffice.  And so, despite what possible disappointment might come from his teachers (who presumably wanted the CHILD to do most of the work in this project), I set to work.  

To be honest, we don't even have construction paper in the house.  I dared not go to Walmart, though, the Saturday before the Super Bowl unless absolutely necessary.  So, the more expensive cardstock I had on hand for scrapbooking would do.  It made me cringe slightly to see it Elmers-glued onto a brown shoe box by a 4 year old who doesn't even realize what textured cardstock is....but, just add it to the long list of hardships parents endure on behalf of loving their kids....

As with any project like this, there were problems.  Nothing major, at least, nothing major to me.  My son was dead set on wheels that could move, and so we went through the time-consuming work of making axels, carving holes, and measuring the wheels space.  Of course, I'm not engineer, and so when we finally attached the wheels, I realized they were too high up on the box to actually be used correctly.  My son was not understanding.  Obviously, I needed to take it apart and make it right.  Um, no.  It took me over an hour just to make them the wrong way, I'm not about to spend that much time doing it over again, just for a preschool Valentine's box.  He was not happy.

He got over it, though, as the project took more shape and Thomas got his face.  It's amazing what putting a face on a train does for a boy...  Something I will never understand.  Oh, and the number one, of course.  That was a necessary finishing touch.  It's certainly not perfect (as I'm sure my son would explain to you all the flaws), but at least it's good enough.  I just hope it can keep its shape long enough to be used for its purpose--holding everyone's Valentine's card come February 14th.... Only time will tell!

 We cut out a hole to put the cards in!