Lego mania

Boden is definitely crazy about his Legos.  He has many sets of tiny, tiny pieces scattered all over his playroom floor as proof of his mania.  Even though he doesn't play with them everyday, he's informed me they can't possibly be picked up because he wouldn't be able to see them all.  Yep, this is true and that is the point.  While I'm happy he's finally broke free of the instruction book and is starting to use his "magination" to build his own creations, the tiny pieces, a curious crawler, and a mom who would like to occasionally vacuum and clean up the ever cluttered room do not mix.  So Boden gets to lock himself in his playroom during Lego time and August pounds on the door wanting to be part of the action ( i.e. Destroy what Boden is working on like a mini Godzilla and shove pieces in his mouth.). And I get to vacuum around pieces while trying not to get mini megaphones/tires/headlights/sharks/life jackets/etc lodged in my foot in an attempt to keep the dog hair and the dirt that travels with little boys at bay.

"I am Duplo.  I come to destroy you."

Boden- proud of his latest rescue station, complete with landscaping and a lighthouse.

Cozy Coupe

Todd spied Boden in the daycare's Cozy Coupe one afternoon from his office window and said, and I quote, "We have to get that.". I asked Todd if he realized that he wouldn't actually fit in the little car.

I personally didn't think we needed the car for the full retail price and for no apparent reason, so I held him off on the purchase for a little while by first reasoning (It's not even his birthday, or anything. We can't buy toys for him all the time), then stalling (Maybe your mom can find this at a rummage sale--let's check with her first), and then cutting off the point of purchase (No, I'll go to Target, don't worry. OMG, I totally forgot to look for the car!). I thought the enthusiasm for it would die and I was completely unsuspecting when Todd headed off to Home Depot one evening. I got a text later that said, "I swung by Target. I'm at Tony's putting together the car.".

From the recap of the evening, I got the sense that setting up this little kid car in Tony's garage with several neighborhood dudes directing with beers in hand, was the ultimate dad experience. It was the culmination of toy assembly, talking smart with guy friends, beer drinking, and a little reminiscing about childhood toys. One of the guys asked Todd if Boden was getting the car for his birthday...the answer of course was "no" (his birthday is in October). The guy paused, and then asked with a tone of familiarity that comes with having two sons and several more years of experience, "Is he getting it because he's your son." And Todd said, "Yep."