What The Blethering Boys Are Playing Today: Lego Minifigure School

We are a Lego Minifigure house and I have to say, it's not just the boys who get excited by them - I am totally reliving my hoarding, childhood days with the phenomenon which are Lego Minifigures.

They have gone all out with them - no longer limited to the bog-standard man with clip on hair and printed attire.  Oh no no!

They come in all shapes and sizes, and are all varied and fun.

Our latest collectables in the Lego Minifigure Series are The Simpsons characters.

How cute is baby Maggie!?

We buy our Lego Minifigures from our local ToyMaster because not only are they friendly and lovely ladies who provided us with a loyalty card (important when collecting these pricey little buggers),

but they open up the packets to have a sneaky look at the contents, numbering them so you can decide and know which ones to get.  Now I know that part of the fun is the element of surprise, but there's also that element of disappointment on getting a minifigure you already have - so I am loving this concept. And very grateful indeed.

New minifigures are actually an inexpensive way to revitalise and re-imagine Lego, firing up the imagination once again for all kinds of scenarios.

Last week, in case you missed it, spurred the building of the very impressive Lego Fort.

This week it's just Ethan and I, home alone, and after the initial excitement and talking about his new character, he is happy to gather the rest of the figures together and play alone (it's a win-win situation - I get to hoover up the popcorn he's spread on the floor! Hooray!)

Today he is learning:

• Improvisation
• Character relations (this is the baby, that's the mummy, this is the teacher)
• Independent Play
• Role play
• Conversational skills (having the characters talking to each other)
• Fine motor skills (aligning the smaller figures on the Lego board)

 

I'm not one for interrupting quiet children (unless, you know, they are drawing on the walls or shoving things down the toilet), so I wasn't initially aware of what he was playing until he was well into it.  When I noticed he was chatting in about 13 different voices at once and singing songs like 'ABC' and stuff he does at nursery, I was quite amazed at the intricacy and detail involved.

                                                

He was really into it.  I asked him 'What you playing?'

And he replied 'It's a school, Mummy!  Look - that's my teacher, and that's the mummy and the baby and this is all the Thomas children at school' (I'm guessing his brother being at school had a huge impact on play.)

It was cool.  And kept him super-busy until he next decided to unleash chaos on the house.

Next stop:  my bag.  And my lipstick.

Hmm.

Another Lego minifigure next week.

What The Blethering Boys Are Playing Today: Lego Fort

As it was a long weekend this weekend, Dave took some time off to look after Thomas while I was at work. And the boys both love spending time with Dad, so Ethan stayed off nursery too.

What a fabulous time they had!

The highlight of the day has to be a visit from Auntie Jacqui and a new toy (a Lego truck!), after a spot of lunch at a bar.

Thanks Auntie Jacqui!

Lucky boys!

As with all new toys, this fuelled their imaginations and led play into new territory.  Dad, Jacqui and the kids all built an amazing Lego Castle!

Check it out!

The Lego men had a good day too by all accounts.

They had a couple of new friends added to their number.

Lego Marge is pretty cool.

So is Lego Grandpa Simpson!

Our kids have never watched The Simpsons, so this is definitely one for us adults.  I can see us trying to collect them - they are really cool and a total ride down nostalgia lane for Dave and I! 

Happy boy!

It was great to come home from a long day at work to see two happy faces and a calm and cool Daddy.

Family time is the best time.  Next time I hope I get to join in too!

Lego Movie - Everything Is Awesome!

Today it was just Tom and I at home.  Ethan was at nursery all day (and he really wanted to go) and Dave was at work.

Usually, when I have a Wednesday to myself, it's pure luxury.  It's the only time, once every two weeks, that I have a large amount of time all by myself, to do whatever the hell I want without constant interruption.

Usually I cook, I clean, I read, I write, I craft and do grown-up things like reading a newspaper in a cafe with a pot of tea, or browse the shops in peace.

I love my Wednesdays.

But today was a Mummy and Tom Wednesday, and we haven't had one of those in a long time, so I was really looking forward to this particular Wednesday.

Tom is a great wee guy - so full of love and emotion, always fidgeting around, always so eager to do stuff.  When it's just me and him on our own, it's great - we both really engage with each other.  I love when my boys are together, but sometimes it's really nice for them to get some alone time with either mum or dad.

It's also a total reality check - when did my boy get so grown up?

We went to the barber to get his hair cut, and he sat there like a total gent (well, a total gent with ants in his pants, but he sat well enough), getting his hair clipped in the real barbers chair.  It's a great wee barber in Monifieth called Benjamin Barker, and well worth a visit if you are around these parts.  It's decorated with vintage furniture and even has Buffalo horns on the walls.  We had to wait a wee while as it was so popular, but definitely worth it - Tom got the best haircut he's had.

Then we came home, had a quick lunch and planned the rest of our day.

Tom loves Lego.  We've seen the Lego Movie, he's played all of the Lego games to within an inch of their lives, he's got Lego t-shirts, he pleads with us daily to take him to Lego land.  When I suggested a trip to the cinema to see a kids film, it was the only thing he wanted to see.

And he was so excited by it - how could I say no?

So here he is - popcorn from Aldi, waiting to go in to see his favourite film.

Isn't he handsome?

He loved the Lego Movie. Again.  And so did I - isn't it a great divide between adult and children humour?  I was still giggling at that bit where Batman steals the hyperdrive from the Millennium Falcon.

Ah, kids.  They grow so fast.

I need to make dates with these guys more often, before they grow to old for a date with their wee mum!