This makes for a wonderful extended Christmas. Opening gifts is so much fun on Christmas morning, but there is also a certain wonderful anticipation in thinking about what you might be able to buy with your new-found wealth.
John was able to get a Lego set that he had had his eye on. It's an X-Wing Fighter from Lego Star Wars. He put it together in short order and it is now sitting in a place of honor in his room. He also got a Semi-truck and trailer that are the right scale to go with some of the models that he is collecting.
Paul knew exactly what he wanted. He has gotten quite proficient at surfing the Lego website. He had seen the new "Indiana Jones" Lego set, and he was quite smitten. He just loves anything that can help him build a mental scenario. He has never seen an Indiana Jones movie, but he knows all the stories from talking to Tim and I and from the little clips on the Lego site. I have to say, this set was worth every penny. It is so detailed, and it is just exactly the way the scene in the Temple in "The Lost Ark" was set. It has all the props; boulders that roll down, skeletons, a pit for Indy to swing over, and all the Characters.
Last, but certainly not least, we have Brendan's choice.
Brendan is an avid reader of catalogs, with Lego being his favorite.
Last summer sometime, he informed me that his Lego dream-come-true was the Imperial Star Destroyer.
The set is an imposing 1300+ pieces, with an equally imposing 100.00+ price!I told him that it was going to take some serious saving for him to be able to buy it with his allowance, and so he had kind of given up.
At Christmas he had saved over 25.00 of his allowance over several weeks, and then he got his gifts.
We decided to go to Toys r Us because I told him I wasn't putting anything else on my card until I have it paid off. No mail-order.
We got there and as we were browsing the aisles, we spotted the Destroyer. There were only two left. With tax it was a bit more than he had, but I bent my own rule and advanced him one week's allowance. I knew he wouldn't again be in the position to buy it for a long time.
He proudly brought it home and started putting it together.
Brendan is seven. The model is geared for ages 9-14. It is huge and very complicated.
There are TWO instruction books!
It took him three days, but he finished it last night.
He really didn't need much help. Tim would go up to help build, and Brendan would tell him all he wanted him to do was to open the bags and sort the pieces. I am amazed at his ability to concentrate and attention to detail.I can't wait to see what he wants for his birthday...
