School Supplies Drive for Covenant House Toronto Update

We were so excited to announce our first School Supplies Drive for Covenant House Toronto earlier this summer. As the school year starts to settle in, we're about ready to wrap things up, and it's about time, as our front table's been overloaded and we've got boxes under the table and in the back ready to be delivered. We were thrilled to see so many people digging into their stationery closets to bring out supplies that will be given a second life. The drive was a huge success, and it was so great to see new and old faces lugging in boxes and bags full of things that have been cluttering up their closets and desks - and you could see as well how happy they were to be able to get rid of things they really weren't going to be using. We're going to be doing a bit of testing just to make sure none of the pens have dried out, or anyone accidentally gave a notebook with a few pages written in that need to be carefully removed, and then we'll be driving this all down to Covenant House. A few people also donated some spare change they had, and we'll be giving this money, totalling $91 to Covenant House Toronto as well. Thank you especially goes to Quo Vadis Canada, who donated a huge supply of dated agendas, which will be especially helpful as Covenant House youth get organized and keep track of their academics and more. Another really big thank you to everyone who donated art supplies and notebooks and erasers and binders and everything else. I've been on a real decluttering bend for the last two years, and it always feels great to be able to get rid of something you can't use, but that someone else really needs. If you still have some supplies you'd like to donate, please bring them in! We are hoping to drop everything off later this week or early next week, but we're so close to Covenant House that a second trip is no problem at all.

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In other news, I've recently discovered my latest trick to keeping Caleb occupied.

A million years ago I wrote about a little wooden toolbox we got Caleb to keep his toys in, and that I secretly lusted after to store my washi tapes (what a joke! like that dinky thing could possibly contain all my washi tapes).

Shortly after the post, Jon sat on the box, and it crumpled into pieces. We saved the pieces, meaning to glue it back together, but only recently, in a spurt of cleaning, did I finally get around to using rubber cement (the only thing I had) to put it back together.

Caleb is in love. Italics in love, so you know it's serious business.

He's been bringing it around everywhere, filling it up with random screwdrivers and extra IKEA pieces and mini versions of Jon's tools, and then hammering into shelves and chairs and furniture everywhere.

He can keep himself busy for so long that sometimes I get worried about what's going on with my little domestic terror. He brings his tool box from one place to another, unpacks all of his tools, gets to work and then packs it all back together to move onto his next job.

It's a bit freaky how kids "know" how to use different tools just by watching adults use them - he knows what a hammer is for, and how to use a screwdriver, and he holds up the laser level on the wall.

I've been doing this thing where I eat cookies and junk food and then tell Caleb that's not for him and not to be eaten and give him some fruit, but I have a feeling he's cottoning on more than I've let myself believe.