A Boy And His Legos

"A child who plays and works thoroughly, with perseverance, until physical fatigue forbids will surely be a thorough, determined person, capable of self-sacrifice." 

-Friedrich Frobel

We took Jonah on his special Birthday Date last night. It's about a month late, but he wanted to wait until he had saved up enough money to go buy the latest Hobbit Lego set that he's had his eye on. He has been carefully accumulating cash for the last 3 months. He was about twenty dollars short. Thank heavens for the arrival of spring and the resuming of his and Spencer's yearly lawn-mowing job. I've never seen a kid more anxious to get out and mow the lawn than Jonah was yesterday afternoon. 

He chose to go to Cantina Mexican Restaurant for dinner. I can see that I have trained my kids well. If I can brainwash all of them to choose mexican food every time, I will consider myself a success. He was more excited about the strawberry daiquiri than anything else, although he does like himself a good taco.

We enjoyed having some one-on-one time with our little Jonah, who isn't so little anymore. Dinner time at home means jockeying for position on the conversational floor. I believe the phrases heard most often at dinner are, "You're interrupting me!" and, "Can I finish my statement now?!" When two talkers marry, mealtime conversation with their offspring can be really fun and really exasperating. It's nice to get away with each child individually at least once a year.

Once we had consumed enough chips and salsa to feed half of Mexico, and once I had consumed enough Mango Daiquiri to cover my geographic tongue with cankers the size of Mt. Vesuvius, it was off to Target for Jonah's long-awaited major purchase.

He located the box on the top shelf immediately. He had to check out all the features on the back. He had just enough money left-over to buy himself two bags of candy. It was a most successful shopping venture. We came home with one content little boy.

Due to Jonah's diligence last night, he was free from all other obligations and could retire to the basement with his new toy and could begin building with feverish abandon. We won't see him until it's built. We'll have to drag him from the depths of the basement to eat. Unfortunately, tonight Jonah is not free from obligations. He has soccer practice and piano and homework to do.   Who has time for homework when you have an awesome goblin cave to construct? We will do our best to help him find some balance. 

How I wish it were summer. Then Jonah could build to his heart's content, and I would be content to watch him do so. Deep down, I believe he is developing more problem-solving skills putting together that 841 piece goblin's lair, than he ever will doing a boring math worksheet. But he has to do the boring math worksheet so that he can go to engineering school and someday become the Lego Engineer that he so very much wants to be. It's a concept we're trying to pound into our kid's minds. Do the things you have to do right now, so that one day you can do the things you want to do. Don't stifle tomorrow's possibilities with today's poor choices. Talk to me in ten years, and I'll let you know whether any of it got through. Anyway, Happy Building, Jonah! Happy Building!