But then my son got excited about playing with them. He would beeline for them whenever they were an option for playing with. He loved following the instructions and building various things. Soon, I was eating my words and buying him the building blocks. They have turned out to be a great investment, as he really, really enjoys playing with them. I have yet to step on one, as my son is really good about cleaning them up each time he plays with them. I still don't feel very creative while playing with them, but that's my problem, not his.
A while ago I took my son to Legoland Discovery Center, which was a huge hit. He's talked about going back again and again. Last week I saw a website promoting a Lego event called BrickLive. I knew immediately it would be right up my son's alley.
My husband kindly procured us tickets at the convenience store. As is usual, the advance tickets saved us a bit of money.
We arrived in Akihabara via train. It is an area we haven't really explored, so I relied on my GPS to get us to the event space. Outside the building was a Legolady, which let me know we had arrived at the right place.
As soon as we entered, my son's eyes got really big. His feet stopped moving for a moment while he took everything in. I heard a hushed "wow" escape from his mouth. Before him lay a Lego paradise. Lego pits, tables full of Legos, Lego car racing, architecture Legos, and Lego graffiti walls all sent him into overload.
Once he got his bearings, he headed over to a Lego building table. There were large tables placed in the center of a ring of thin tables filled with loose Legos. The tables in the middle had finished builds on them. He immediately got to work building and telling me all about his creations.
After he was pleased with what he had built, he moved onto the brick pits. He removed his shoes to climb inside the pit. As soon as he had put his weight down, he decided the pit was too pokey. He didn't like all the sharp edges. I put my feet in and totally agreed with his assessment. So, we sat on the edge and built things with the single colored blocks. There were 3 pits - blue Duplos as well as red and orange Legos.
Next he decided to build a car and race it down the track. He loved piecing together all the wheels. Finding the perfect steering wheel and windshield took dedication. He found everything eventually and built a car he was proud of.
Then we hit up the architecture Legos. He had so much fun with the unique shaped pieces. We ended up building a 4 story house. He was emphatic that adults were not allowed up on the top floor, as it was for kids only. I loved hearing all about the adventures that would happen in that house. His imagination was on fire.
To wrap up the event, he spent over a half hour engrossed in the graffiti wall. A staff member was there, helping and encouraging him to create fun designs on the wall. It was so neat to watch him formulate and build.
It has happened more than once as a parent. I hear my pre-child voice saying "when I have kids, they'll do this or that." So many well laid plans, until I became a parent and realized that there are no rules and nothing is set in stone. You just do your best and give them as much as you can. Even if it means letting them delve into a world that isn't quite your thing. Watching his delight was pure joy for both of us.
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