Daddee Yah!

Almost a year ago I had visited this blog and saw this prototype, and declared (to myself, mostly) that I would attempt this myself. Here’s the finished product of that prototype, by the way, by the very talented Anna.

Bit of background: Anna is also a parent, but who is also very good with her hands. A lot of the joy from the toys and decor that surrounds Anna’s home are actually made by herself. This is something I totally admire (my brother Wyluxx is also good with his hands like that, but this isn’t about him In fact, Dr Pixie is pretty creative as well with the paint brush), because I feel that a toy / source of enjoyment is more meaningful when it was actually made with effort and from the heart, and not just purchased with cash. It makes the gesture / token all the more meaningful. It is also an example I would like to set for my kids: To be creative and resourceful.

So anyway. To me, the cardboard kitchen didn’t look too hard. After all, I had the photos of the prototype and a rough idea of how Anna approached it.

About 1-2 weeks ago during work I went to visit an ex-dept. They are in the middle of moving to another location and had new cardboard boxes for everyone for packing. I saw them and asked for a few, with this project ticking over in my head already. I hadn’t started this project all this time simply because I hadn’t come across any good cardboard yet; and I wasn’t prepared to go out of my way to buy them.

So I got to planning. It was a school night. I had to get Caitlin to bed first so as not to be interrupted. It was actually a good excuse for her to go sleep alone (I usually put her to bed). My excuse was, “Daddee has to go do some drawings, to measure and cut the shapes to make the kitchen…” I have shown her Anna’s site and the kitchen, and she was so excited about it.

It worked. She went to bed. And I got cracking. Here’s my attempt at the prototype.

Here’s the so-called completed work.

You will understand, then, that I initially had second thoughts about sharing this post. Why? Oh no reason, other than I totally screwed up TWO perfectly brand new cardboard boxes in the process.

Yes, it looks like shit. Not a single line was 90 degrees to each other. The “unit” was wobbly, with lots of inadequately cut gaps / slots (of either too wide or too narrow) making the cardboard warp after assembly.

Yes, I embarrass myself.

At the risk of sounding defensive, I had initially planned on calling it a night after I had put together my own prototype. I guess I got impatient myself, ‘cos soon after that, I thought the hell with it and started cutting up the cardboard boxes themselves to finish it that night.

The next morning, in something of a consolation, Caitlin woke to see it, and loved it. My joy was very very shortlived when she quickly followed with, “But it’s not finished; we have to paint it!”

You see, she’s got Anna’s photos of the perfect cardboard kitchen etched in her mind now, and expected her perfect Daddee to at the very least come up with an identical one.

I was in trouble. The pressure to deliver was very quickly building up, almost equalling the performance anxieties with Hot Mummee.

For the following days I was delaying her. Not that I wanted to abandon the project, but it was already a disaster- so why paint it. She’s been playing with it though, hiding stuff in the “oven” and asking me to close my eyes, and then opens it with “SURPRISE!” revealing whatever it is inside.

A few nights ago, while she was (already and still) playing with it, she reached into the “oven”, lost her balance and fell in, effectively collapsing the whole kitchen.

It was pretty painful for me. Not because of the damage, but that Caitlin was teary eyed soon after.

I don’t know if it was because she knew the effort I had put in; it’s likely the simpler explanation, that her toy is now broken. Yeah, the simpler explanation…

At this point I don’t know what to do with the kitchen. I could reinforce it with more cardboard bits, or I could abandon this one, learn from it, and start over…

Hey, that lightweight polystyrene material that the art studio uses to stick posters on (as backing) looks pretty sturdy too….. Heh heh.