When it comes to Legos, the boys have become masters, just like their current favorite show. They can spend hours in the playroom, digging through bins for pieces, creating spaceships, droids, houses, characters, scenes, elaborate storylines and anything else they imagine. I love it. I embraced their love of Legos, springing for new sets and even decorating the playroom with Lego Movie posters and brick decals.
But it’s not all love. Any parent can tell you the indescribable pain that is stepping on a Lego. Or the absolute futility of keeping pieces organized, sets together, or finding the one piece you need when you need it. Lego bricks spill in the hundreds off the designated “Lego Table” I created on the backside of their train table, onto the floor and under the couch and into the hallway. I routinely find lego mini figures in the laundry or in the cupholders of our car.
As for springing for those sets, we now own 54. How do I know? Because in the endless debate over the best way to store pieces and instructions, I decided to digitize all of the instructions in a shared spreadsheet they can use whenever they want. It may be the most type-A thing I’ve ever done. It took weeks. It was eye-opening to discover how many Legos we actually own. So. Many. Legos. And do I have an unopened Lego advent calendar in the closet waiting for December 1st? Of course I do.
Last night, the boys rushed into our room with their most recent Lego creations, bursting with excitement over the fleet they engineered, each ship with moving parts and seats for pilots. All of the tediousness melts away as they chatter about their designs, revealing the value of this unique and timeless toy. A house full of Lego is a house full of joy. Until the day is done, they’re fast asleep, the house dim and quiet… and I step on another lego.
Our Life in A-Z 