Legos Make a Come Back!

When Paul and I were in college we loved Lego's. It became a bit of an obsession. Actually it started as a way to avoid studying for fall semester finals. That became an awesome memory for me. I remember it clearly.

We were renting a tiny house in Tucson on East Circle Drive East (ya, weird address - try explaining that to people - they always thought we were drunk). It was December 8th and Paul and I were celebrating St. Nicholas Day (a European holiday in which stockings or shoes - depending on which country you are from - are filled). Paul put a small Lego set in my stocking. I had never had Lego's as a kid and I loved the little kit. It was awesome. So in a desperate attempt to avoid studying for finals we ran to Toys R Us and bought each of us a bigger set to put together while watching the 007 Marathon on TBS and not study. It was great fun. That underlying fear because we weren't studying, but having a great time watching James Bond and putting together Lego's. What could be better.

For some reason the same thing never happened in spring semester finals time - something just didn't hit the time right. Maybe because it was too hot by then, no 007 marathon, no Christmas season, I don't know, but it just seemed like a fall semester thing. So it became a tradition - even after we graduated - for a couple of years. People would tease us that when we had kids they would be thrilled with our collection and we'd roll our eyes - whatever - we aren't having kids. Blah, blah, blah. All in all we'd amassed about 25 decent sized sets of Lego's - no small collection let me tell you. And no small representation of money we spent either!

Then careers took over and other interests and the Lego's got put away in a box (smartly in plastic bags which protected them from a moldy basement later) and forgotten for about 10 years. Until yesterday.

Zachary has been playing with a Lego set he got for Christmas last year and showing real interst in actually building original creations with it. So when he went upstairs to potty yesterday I sent Paul down to get the mother lode of Lego's in the basement. When Zach came back down his eyes were as big as saucers. We kept pulling out bag after bag after bag of Lego's. He was hoping up and down and giggling. It was great. And suddenly I had that feeling again. Put the 007 marathon on, get some take out fast food, I'm avoiding studying for finals! Seriously, I actually had to remind myself that I wasn't blowing anything off and it was OK to play with the Lego's! I felt like such a rebel!

Zachary and I spent the afternoon today building Merlin's Tower. We had a blast. To think I'd get a double blessing out of those Lego's! The thrill of putting them together with Paul the first time and with Zachary almost 20 years later! I guess all those people were right after all. Zachary IS thrilled with the mother lode of Lego's. So am I.