(Please read last Sunday's post about the Lee Family Quiet Time before reading today's post.)
It may be hard to imagine a world where the three Lee children can coexist peacefully, but that world does actually exist - and it is completely contained in a huge rubbermaid tote that lives under my bed. It is called "THE WORLD OF LEGOS".
About two years ago I came across an obscenely large stash of Legos in an unmarked cardboard box at a yard sale. I asked the preteen kid at the table how much he wanted for them. He told me $20. I only had $15 and his mom told him he should take it because no one else would want them(a shame!). And that's how the box of a million Legos became mine.
Now, if you know anything about Legos, you know that they are outrageously priced! A dinky box of Legos at Target can run $30 - $40! This kid had just sold me about $400 worth of Legos for $15 so I drove straight home and did a little happy dance around the box.
Unfortunately, upon closer investigation (and a lot of sneezing), I realized the entire collection of Legos was covered in pet hair. (Dog or cat, doesn't matter, I'm allergic to both and so is Chris) We spent at least two or three hours with Lego soup in our bathtub - a mixture of bleach, water and pet hair floating amongst the vividly colored bricks, wheels and "minifigs" (serious Lego speak for the little Lego people). It seemed like a serious pain at the time, drying each individual Lego . . . but two years of hindsight has taught me that those might have been the best $15 I ever spent!
Fastforward to today . . . another Sunday at the Lees with kids fighting and whining. Quiet time is over and the kids are itching for something to do. I'm making dinner for a friend, and the Hubby is still having his Sunday Snooze. SoThe moment of desperation arrives and out comes the magic tote of Legos. Suddenly it's like my kids are sucked into a vortex of blissful togetherness, swirled with little rainbow interlocking pieces and topped with an imagination cherry. They build and discuss design. They battle evil and rule the universe as a team. They use the legs of the minifigs as eyeballs for a new kind of droid the world has never seen before. They laugh and giggle and create for hours!
I believe that without hesitation, I must bow down before the toy gods of Denmark and say, "Thank You. Thank you for creating Legos. Thank you for coming up with the ONE thing that makes my children like eachother. I OWE YOU BIG TIME!"
And so today I am giving you an opportunity to read up on the history of Legos here: http://ohoh.essortment.com/legohistory_rbco.htm (it is actually just a little fascinating . . . did you know they've been around since our parents' time?) And I'm shamelessly going to plug Lego.com. If you haven't checked it out with your kids, you can do so here: http://www.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx .
If you don't own Legos yet for your kids, go out and get some! After they've wrecked the design that came with the box, they actually have to use their own brain power to make something. Maybe someday they'll be able to build a Volvo SUV out of Legos like the one pictured above (serious actual photo).
It may be hard to imagine a world where the three Lee children can coexist peacefully, but that world does actually exist - and it is completely contained in a huge rubbermaid tote that lives under my bed. It is called "THE WORLD OF LEGOS".
About two years ago I came across an obscenely large stash of Legos in an unmarked cardboard box at a yard sale. I asked the preteen kid at the table how much he wanted for them. He told me $20. I only had $15 and his mom told him he should take it because no one else would want them(a shame!). And that's how the box of a million Legos became mine.
Now, if you know anything about Legos, you know that they are outrageously priced! A dinky box of Legos at Target can run $30 - $40! This kid had just sold me about $400 worth of Legos for $15 so I drove straight home and did a little happy dance around the box.
Unfortunately, upon closer investigation (and a lot of sneezing), I realized the entire collection of Legos was covered in pet hair. (Dog or cat, doesn't matter, I'm allergic to both and so is Chris) We spent at least two or three hours with Lego soup in our bathtub - a mixture of bleach, water and pet hair floating amongst the vividly colored bricks, wheels and "minifigs" (serious Lego speak for the little Lego people). It seemed like a serious pain at the time, drying each individual Lego . . . but two years of hindsight has taught me that those might have been the best $15 I ever spent!
Fastforward to today . . . another Sunday at the Lees with kids fighting and whining. Quiet time is over and the kids are itching for something to do. I'm making dinner for a friend, and the Hubby is still having his Sunday Snooze. SoThe moment of desperation arrives and out comes the magic tote of Legos. Suddenly it's like my kids are sucked into a vortex of blissful togetherness, swirled with little rainbow interlocking pieces and topped with an imagination cherry. They build and discuss design. They battle evil and rule the universe as a team. They use the legs of the minifigs as eyeballs for a new kind of droid the world has never seen before. They laugh and giggle and create for hours!
I believe that without hesitation, I must bow down before the toy gods of Denmark and say, "Thank You. Thank you for creating Legos. Thank you for coming up with the ONE thing that makes my children like eachother. I OWE YOU BIG TIME!"
And so today I am giving you an opportunity to read up on the history of Legos here: http://ohoh.essortment.com/legohistory_rbco.htm (it is actually just a little fascinating . . . did you know they've been around since our parents' time?) And I'm shamelessly going to plug Lego.com. If you haven't checked it out with your kids, you can do so here: http://www.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx .
If you don't own Legos yet for your kids, go out and get some! After they've wrecked the design that came with the box, they actually have to use their own brain power to make something. Maybe someday they'll be able to build a Volvo SUV out of Legos like the one pictured above (serious actual photo).
(BTW not recommended for kids who stick things in their mouths . . . serious chokey!)
3 comments:
All Hail to the the great LEGO!
When I was a kid I had about 10,000 lego pieces. I think my Lego collection was worth more than my parent's cars.
I still have a large bucket of them which my kids now play with, but oh, how I wish I had all my Legos.... :(
Simply put, Lego is the best toy EVER invented. I still love to play with them along with my kids.
Do you think that Volvo wagon was built by a kid? NOoooo. There are huge Lego user groups made up of all adults. I'm not saying you should go and use up all your free time playing with Legos but you are right in saying "GENIUS, THY NAME BE LEGO".
Samantha! You've done it again! I believe that you are paving a way for me. We're totally following your lead on the ear piercing...our Sundays can be a wreck (please do check out the Liken movies!)...I've been having the great Lego debate for a while...mostly because they're costly and because my kids have not shown any signs of wanting them. But I think once held fast in Lego's grip, they would be powerless to resist them. I will give them a look on Ebay or Craig's. Genius, thy name be Samantha!
Did I not verbalize that? How did we NOT hang out????? The Liken vids crack me up. As an aside, if you have to call Liken for any reason, the guy who answers the phone, Josh Tenney, play Ponchi in the Ammon one.
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