Okay, I have fallen in love. No, not with another human, but with my sons’ Legos.  My big brother had Legos growing up, but they were off limits to me which, at the time, seemed incredibly unfair, but in reality, I probably wouldn’t have lasted very long with them in those days when “girl toys” ruled.  But now that my boys have them, I have had a chance to really play with them and, well, I love them!

♥ I love the way they look. The colors and shapes are like eye candy.  Every time I see them piled up, I want to photograph them!  Don’t worry I don’t. 🙂

♥ I love the endless possibilities they offer. We have built space vehicles, police vehicles, jails, oceans, flying boats and sailing airplanes.

♥ I love the lessons learned. My son will often say, “I can’t do it right.” My response? “There are not rights or wrongs in Legos. You can do it anyway you want.” He has even started saying this to his younger brother!

♥ I love the play they inspire, the conversations and narratives that go along with the play and the vocabulary my boys use when when playing. I overheard my not quite three year old say, “Help C! It is not stable!”

♥ I  love the problem solving that goes into building with Legos.  Trying different configurements, using alternative parts and then starting all over until it is “just right.”

♥ I love that when I went to wake my eldest son the other morning, I found his bed empty and he was sitting on his floor surrounded by his Lego “guys.” He said, “Hi, Mom. I am just counting my guys.”

♥ I love that my son saved up his money, did extra chores around the house and was able to buy himself his own Lego set (the ranger helicopter, if you are wondering).

♥ I  love the way that playing Legos has become a bridge that connects my two boys. Although one is not quite three and the other is well over five, when playing Legos, they share a common language, a common goal and a common joy.

♥ I love playing Legos with my boys. I love the time we spend together talking, thinking, sharing, problem solving and then, of course, doing it all over again!

Note: We recently organized all our Legos and it has dramatically changed the way my boys play. They are more accessible and it is much easier to find that one piece you just have to have. It has also been a great lesson in organization (and staying organized) and sorting by different attributes.  If you are interested in seeing how we organized our Legos, check out our post, “Boy Mama: Legos Organized- Check!”