Forget the Kids, Lego is for Grown-Ups

I like Lego. Like, a lot.

So when the Ignite Waterloo team decided to build a massive Lego trophy as a mascot of sorts for the event, I jumped all over the chance to be the builder.

And here it is:

Have Mercy. Isn't she wonderfully majestic? Yes, the trophy is a she, she told me so. It's an intimate relationship, the one between builder and buildee.

She is made of 1396 pieces of Lego, took 15 hours to build and 3 designs to get just right. In related news, Lego Digital Designer is a bitch to use and I'll probably never go that route again.

During the final build, and only about 6 hours before I was due to deliver it, I drop the prototype of the cup and had to redesign on the fly, while gluing. And that gorgeous butcher block she rests upon? $5.50 at a garage sale. Score!

Thanks for allowing me to become a part of Ignite history, Ignite Waterloo, this was fun!

At the Intersection of Little Kid and Big Kid

My kids love Thomas. Popping in a Thomas DVD on a Saturday morning is often the only way I can get a quiet shower in before we head to the market.

But the lights are fading.

The boys are 5 & 7 and they're quickly realizing that they're the only ones in their class that watch Thomas so I've found they're starting to improvise a little more in their Thomas games.

Like tonight. We're driving to the YMCA and they're pretending our SUV is Thomas and Diesel 10 is chasing us. They're watching out the back window and yelling for me to hurry because Diesel 10 is gaining on us. We beat Diesel 10 around a few corners and lights but eventually it happens... we get caught by a red light. Diesel 10 is bearing down on us and I can see Pinchy reaching out from the top of the engine raring to crunch up my Ford Escape until there's nothing left of it.

PHOTO CREDIT: Diesel 10

I yell back to Mr5, "Quick! Throw some cookies out the back door, Pinchy can eat those and then he won't crush us!"

The boy quickly reaches into his pretend bag of cookies, opens his window and tosses the cookies out behind us. I cheer, "You saved us!"

And the boy, in the most serious voice EVER, tells me, "We don't have to worry about him anymore. Those cookies were poisonous and he'll be dead soon".

And in that moment, our happy Treehouse, Thomas and Bubble Guppy childhood died.

PHOTO CREDIT: DEAD :(

Please tell me

that not all the parents have already prepared perfect little bento boxes of smiley foods

or labelled all the water bottles, containers, shoes and jackets.

Please tell me that somewhere out there some other Mom is searching frantically for the leftover labels from last year

and wondering why there is one shoe missing when she could have sworn it was still attached to the other brand new shoe.

Please tell me that somewhere there's a Dad who still hasn't got his kids back on the school year bedtime routine

and hasn't even started school shopping.

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Are They Made From Real Girl Scouts?

My kids are outside right now telling the neighbour kids that the watermelon has real sugar babies in it.

PHOTO CREDIT: CHEEZBURGER