Big Joy From a Big Box

If you know Jen very well, you know she is not short on creativity.  Where I see junk, trash, etc... Jen sees an amazing adventure, a cute little decoration, something practical for our home, or in this case a great play house for the kids.  Last week I came home from language class to find a giant box in our living room.  Now this was shocking on a number of levels.
1.  Finding any cardboard here is next to impossible, the Roma collect it all (even cereal boxes, and sell it to recyclers).
2.  You just don't see big things here whether its cars or boxes.  We live in the land of tiny.
3.  This thing is huge and how Jen got it up here was beyond me (she'll have to retell that little adventure)
5.  It has been raining for weeks, how did she find a dry box?
4.  And most importantly it was no longer a box, it had been transformed into a playhouse just the right size for three great kids (and some lalaloopsy dolls and it doubles as a garage for Wilson's cars). This was not just some box turned on its side or with a hole cut in it.  It has nice 4 pane windows, a solid wood door, two chimneys, a shaker shingle roof and a little garden out front.  Inside Miki had designed a flat screen tv mounted to the wall and Jen had added cheetah print curtains with pink trim.  As amazing as all that is, the best part has been the sounds coming from the house.  Sounds of creativity and imagination.  Sounds of laughter and delight.  For me that's what this box has become.  Jen gives our kids so much, but giving them the gift of creativity, the gift of imagination, its just amazing to me.  I don't know if she intends to or not but our kids are learning to think outside of the box (pun intended).  Jen, thank you for all you give to our kids and thanks for dragging that big box into our house. 

In case you are not familiar this is a Lalaloopsy

and so is this

The big box outside

Early constrution

after trim and finish work

Curtains and TV