We’ve finally settled into the new school year routine. Of course, all summer the kids were up at 6:30, and now that we have to get to school in the morning I have to drag them out of bed at 7 – go figure!  But, other than that life is moving along pretty good.

Evie is in school full day, but Mack is picked up a little before lunch. Once Vivian goes down for her nap, he and I have a couple hours to keep quiet downstairs.  He likes a little quiet time to watch a cartoon, but after that he looks to me for something to do.  Sometimes we prepare dinner or bake cookies.  It it’s not too hot we’ll play out back in the courtyard.  He just likes to be busy.

At Evie’s curriculum night last week, her teachers showed us parents the “community” the kindergarteners were building out of discarded cereal boxes and paper towel rolls.  Evie and her friends created the local farm, while other kids in the class worked on the big city. It was such a cute idea, and I knew it was something Mack would enjoy, too.  So, the other day he and I took a few boxes out of our recycling bin and got to work!

First, we constructed a house out of a cereal box.  He loved gluing on windows and a door!

Next, we created a person out of an empty spice jar. Mack tasked himself with drawing on the outfit.

One of Mack’s favorite memories from this summer was the time when he (nervously) jumped from the diving board with Captain (my dad), so of course we have to construct a swimming pool! We filled a small box with snips of light and dark blue construction paper, and made a simple little diving board from a granola bar box.

It was a lovely way to pass the time while Vivian napped.  These quiet afternoons with my boy feel like such a treat – I know soon enough he’ll be in school full day.

Our craft project kept Mack busy and happy.  These days, I consider success to be finding anything that keeps a normally rambunctious 3 1/2 year old boy creative and engaged for nearly an hour!