If you've been keeping half an eye on my 101 Things list, you'll know that one of my challenges was to build a Lego model. Well! Did I ever! And I don't think that I'm quite done, yet, because I had so much fun doing it. My dad even came over and helped me find pieces like he used to when I was a kid! You can probably tell exactly how much fun I had by the number of unnecessary exclamation marks in this post!
Legolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolegolego!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, if you love Lego and are sick of your own parents and would very much like to be adopted, I recommend Kelley over at magnetoboldtoo.com as your new mother. She recently threw an epic Lego-themed birthday party for her boy. A birthday party that included a food fight, chocolate lego bricks and Lego jellies and Lego decorations. Man, that's dedication!
So anyway, this is how much Lego we have collected over the years. Also, hot tip - keep your kids' Lego on an old sheet inside an old suitcase. So much easier to pack up!
Most of it is my brother's, but a substantial amount is the medieval stuff, most of which is mine. MINE, I TELLS YA!!! I'm not sure what I like more - the little horsies... Or the wizards... Or the ghosties... Or the teensy, tiny little weapons (by the way, the large axes kind of hurt to step on. In case you were wondering...)
And this, my dears, is the massive pile of instructions to go with it all.
(Except that after I took this photo, I realised that a lot of it is actually Lego advertising material from the early Eighties that came with the Lego. I wonder if it's worth anything as a collector's thingie, cos most people throw this shit out (welcome to my house!), and surely something so dog-eared and chewed rare should be worth something...?)
In the end I made a few things. Most of them were missing pieces when I finished (the house is still missing quite a few but I managed to make it stay up anyhow) but I found most of the missing bits as I did more models.
(that looks structurally sound, right??)
So far, I have made a police car, a fire engine, a house, a medieval house, a space ship, and what I think is supposed to be Merlin in a tree (don't ask me why he's in a tree).
Not exactly a top news story, but I guess I can cross it off my list!
Good Lord. That IS a lot of Lego. Although I suppose if we tipped all of ours out of the various tubs that it's in, and on to a sheet, it would probably look equally impressive!!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure we don't have any of the instructions any more though. Lost in international moves and what-have-you... Oh well - more opportunity for creativity and hoping things don't collapse! ;)
It's funny, I tried to freestyle build something with Grant's nephews at Christmas and my adult mind couldn't grasp what all the weirdly-shaped pieces actually did. I knew they were for a plane but couldn't figure out how to put them together. I guess you lose your imagination after a while :(
ReplyDeleteThose nephews are more than happy for you to come and practise any time you like! BTW Noddy is optional! ;-) And we have the maps in a folder but the boys like to freestyle!
ReplyDeleteAnd that is a tiny amount of lego. I know this because ours is currently covering our whole entire rug! Every square inch!
I might take you up on that - there are few things quite so absorbing as building a Lego model. It's almost like mediation! Almost... although I imagine not so much with three small boys ;)
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