Henry is seriously the weirdest, funniest, quirkiest, little guy ever.
He’s a thrill seeking, adrenaline loving kid covered in scratches and bruises. He competes in skateboard series. He shoots BB guns. He digs holes for no apparent reason.
And he loves containers.
All kinds.
But the smaller, the better. I cannot tell you how many times we will buy something and he will excitedly ask us for the little box it came in. I have no idea what he does with these containers, but I fear he may grow into a Container Hoarder. Because, as yet, he doesn’t really put things in them. He just sorta collects them.
![IMG_8600[1]](http://liferearranged.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_86001.jpg)
Case in point, a year or so ago, I was perusing a “Treasures Store” (it’s what I call thrift/antique stores). Henry and Lu tagged along with stern admonitions to not. touch. anything. Hands behind backs. Lots of eyebrow raising and the like.
Lucy begged for assorted porcelain dolls and fancy tea sets, but the boy just about jumped out of his skin when he saw this little tin.
“Why do you want that?!”
“Because it’s SO COOOL mom! Look, it has a lid and there’s even little tiny holes in it!!!”
“Are you going to catch bugs in it?”
“I don’t know. PUUUUUHHHHLLLLLEEEEASSSSE mom….”
“Go ask the lady how much it is and then ask your dad if he has cash. I don’t even have my wallet with me.”
When the lady quoted him a whopping 75 cents, he came bounding back into the store with a fistful of coins that Andy was able to fish out of the ashtray and center console of the car.
To this day, this little tin is a prized possession and sits out on bookshelves and end tables in his room.
There’s still nothing in it.
We had a wedding to go to a couple of weeks ago down in Orange County, and while we were out the morning of, I remembered that there was a Container Store just a block away.
When my budding reader saw the sign from the back seat of our car, he came unglued.
“IS THAT WHERE WE ARE GOING???!!! Can we go in there?! Is that a store of just CONTAINERS???!!!!”
He was literally unbuckled and halfway out the door before Andy had fully parked the car.
We have never…NEVER…seen him so excited. Not even for Disneyland.
I really wish you could have been there.
He pulled me through the store.
It was container overload. His eyes were the size of saucers and he could hardly stand still.
He didn’t even know where to start.
It was almost more than he could bear.
Andy and I followed him around the store (he had to go up and down every aisle first to assess his choices).
We belly laughed the entire time, equally confused and amused by this unbridled delight. Because I have never ever ever seen this kid so jazzed. Ever.
I am 100% certain every shopper and employee in that store thought we were insane.
He finally settled on the jewel toned acrylic boxes that came in millions of sizes and colors.
There were so many colors.
So many sizes.
These were big decisions.
He organized and reviewed.
Set them all up.
Swapped out colors.
And then sizes.
Oh, but maybe three tiny ones instead of one medium sized one…
Serious business with a budget of $10.
There was lots of adding and subtracting. Had to get it just right. Just the right combo. But does he want a big red one or a little red one? Which one would you get, mom?
Seriously.
Buying CONTAINERS.
Not a candy store. Not a toy store. Not a theme park.
Containers.
He asked me if I would buy him a gift card to The Container Store for his birthday next year. And a mountain bike. With gears. So he can climb mountains with it.
Because that’s totally what every 7 year old boy asks for, right?
*Not a sponsored post in any way, shape, or form. But it totally should be.
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He looks so happy with his purchase! So cute.
Cracks me up!!! I LOVE the picture of him standing outside with his bag of goodies. This is good stuff right here! So funny.
What a great story! I have a huge grin on my face. :) Thanks for sharing.
Hahhaha, what a cool boy! He is very special, and you describes the scenary so funny! Thank you for letting us in to this world of his :)
Best wishes from Norway.
I love it!!! I love containers too! Wish Henry and I could go shopping together for containers. We would have a blast!
I could not love this more. I have an eight year old little boy – although he does not share the love of containers (I have to admit, I am a little jealous!), he does do the dig a big hole for no reason and then move on to the next space to dig a hole for no reason thing. Boys are fun. And confusing. And fun.
I totally get it!! I love the container store! What an awesome kid!!
Thank goodness I’m not the only person in the word OBSESSED with tiny things, containers in particular. Especially tins, like from Altoids minis.
So proud of his purchase! How funny is he! My husband said he and Pretzel would have a ball. That’s my daughter’s cat. :-D
So totally smiling…….. A collector is born.
The look of absolute and pure joy on his face makes me smile.
Okay, so I totally understand Henry. He could be mine. I love containers too~ His little tin with the holes in it is AWESOME~ Please tell him I said so. And the container store. Heaven.
I’m in Louisiana… if we lived near you I’d come pick him up to join me for container shopping. And we could discuss the best skateboard brands & trucks & bearings! I totally adore spending time with little boys, and mine are now 23 & 27. Still love them, but miss those years of skateboarding & soccer games.
My love of containers includes boxes, bins, anything plastic with a lid, and extends to suitcases & purses & backpacks. If you can put something in it, I love it! Some years ago, when mentioning to my sister that I hated to throw away a little box, any little box, I discovered that she also loved containers. And then I found out that my mom collected them too… I had no idea, but apparently it can be somewhat hereditary? LOL!
I love his victory stance.
I am sitting here with a big grin – that was fun to read! Good for you for supporting Henry and his charming quirks. (My family gently teases me that I’m the quirky one in the family but they totally respect my little preferences. I love them for it.)
Ahhh, only in America would we need a store to sell stuff to put all our stuff IN. But I love this post. It will be so interesting to see what kind of career Henry leans towards. So many creative possibilities :)
Oh my goodness this is amazing. We have a little family inside joke.
When my husband was a kid and heading for another hospital stay, his mom had packed a bunch of stuff in a Container Store sack. A lady in the elevator saw her bag and loudly exclaimed, “OH! The Container Store! I GOES OFF WHEN I GO IN THERE!”. It was just one of those thing that stuck and it is often quoted when there is discussion of this lovely store (usually every Christmas when my mom-in-law has “gone off” in said store and bought every cool little contraption she laid her eyes on for us)
Oh my this is just awesomeness!! I can totally relate, that Container Store sucks me in every time :)
Laura
Aww I love this!
This is so cute. I had the same reaction during my first trip to the Container Store. Except I was a grown up with no excuses for my behavior…Oh well. It’s the little things that make us the happiest sometimes.
Fun! Fun! Fun! And I totally get it, Henry! I love containers too, and the smaller the better. What a great story! Thank you for sharing!