I think that all kids love boxes. And we parents love them too. We've made all kinds of things from boxes: houses, boats, restaurants, cars .... London called all of the boxes from the shelving units. He wanted to create something with them on his own. Since I was focused/hell bent on finishing my basement organizing project that I'd been planning for over a year, I was very happy to let him build. (Note Violet was helping me build an entertainment center -- also for the basement -- which was a big project in itself.)
London was so quiet and focused that I completely forgot about him. At one point, I saw him working with a very large pair of sissors and I cringed. Could one really cut off a finger? I could see loosing an eye for sure. But before I stepped in to stop him from impaling himself, I saw how incredibly focused he was on his project. In fact, he hadn't made a sound in over an hour. He had cut out the body of the plane and one wing perfectly. I just couldn't take him away from that. So I sat nervously while he finished cutting and let out a big sigh of relief when he was safely done.
He was so proud when he gave me a tour of his creation. He'd made wings from the styrofoam in the entertainment center packaging. The wings were so long that at one point he had to walk away from his project because he was terribly upset about them touching the floor. After a little break, he decided to add a small piece of styrofoam to support his wings. It was a great lesson learned in patience.
Now the plane sits undisturbed next to his train -- which he actually plays with every once in a while. He loves to create and what I love most about his creations is that he can build based upon only his imagination. He doesn't need a guide or directions or even a parent to help him. I don't think I know many adults who have that kind of imagination. I love watching him grow into a big boy. (Yeah, I totally started crying when I wrote "big boy." Who wouldn't?)