Cup Collector

My son likes to collect cups.  When we went to the orthodontist today, he took a cup from the sink.

"Bubba," I said.  "Those are for the people who are having work done on their teeth.  You're not having anything done today, so you shouldn't take one." (We were there for his sister.)

"But Mama, I like cups."

The nice worker there let him take the cup.

A little while later, we were at United Dairy Farmers, getting ice cream.  The boy spotted  styrofoam coffee cups.  Naturally, he took one.

"Bubba, what did I say about cups?"

He looked at me.  Then he looked at the cashier.  The cashier let him have the cup.

When we got home, he added them to his growing collection.

"Dude," I said.  "What are you going to do with those cups?"

He looked out the window.  A big storm was rolling in, and it was getting dark.  "I'm going to make a flashlight."

I watched him carve out the bottom of the small cup and place it into the larger cup. 

"Mama, do you have one of those tea-lights?"

I fetched him one of those.  He turned it on, and put it in between the two cups so it held in place.

"Ta dah! Do you like my flashlight?"

I sure did!  Then we sat by the light of his invention, and waited for the storm to pass.