December 30, 2006

Legos

A huddle of heads around a pile of plastic, interlocking blocks transformed into villages, vehicles and creatures. That's my memory of Legos. They were an investment into the imagination of young minds. When my boys grew up and cars and girls were more intriguing, I couldn't part with that part of their childhood; so the Legos were moved to the attic.

A few years ago my neice needed someone to take care of her children for a couple of months in the summer. I agreed to look after them for her and brought down the Legos so they would have something to do while they were here. Amazingly after ten years the Legos were still as big a hit with this new generation as they had been with my kids. They would sit for hours building and making up stories for their tiny characters to act out.

After the kids went back to school and my neice no longer needed me to watch her children I never quite got up the nerve to move the Legos back up into the attic.

New neighbors moved in next door and they had a three year old little boy who was a little hard to understand. He would come over to visit for cookies and to "Pay Yaygos". My husband teased me about having a new boyfriend. I laughed and said, "Yes, but he only likes me for my cookies and Yaygos". He soon met other little boys in the neighborhood and his visits became less frequent.

The other day my youngest son who is now 21 came over to visit. "Mom, do you still have our Legos?" I told him we did and asked him why he wanted to know. "Well." He said. "Me and my friends were sitting around talking about how much fun we used to have with Legos. Their mom's got rid of theirs but I told them I think you still have ours. We thought it would be cool to play with them."

They say boys never grow up and with mine that is so far true. The only thing I'm concerned about now is if my little friend comes to visit and discovers my "Yaygos" have been repossessed.