Thirty Eight Dollars

That's what he expected from the tooth fairy for his front, top tooth.

The tooth fairy has made two visits to our house so far.

On both occasions, she has successfully left four shiny quarters, {well there was that night she forgot to stop by and the disappointment on Harrison's face was heartbreaking as he tapped me awake early in that morning, holding up a tooth-fairy pillow - tooth still snug in the pocket.

This time we had a slight delay when we couldn't find the tooth-fairy pillow; however, after showing off his tooth to a friend the next day and finding the little purple pillow, he put it next to his bed, ready for the prize.

She didn't leave quarters this time. No, she left something better - or so I thought.


Harrison walked out of his room with a frown on his face and held up a Two Dollar Bill.




"Awesome!" I said, "What's wrong?"

"It's not 38 dollars."  He sadly replied. 

What!? As my eyes spin.

Reading my dazed and confused expression he adds, "I wanted  the Lego Ninjago Cole's Tread Assalt Vehicle from Target."

And I want a new car.

Good luck with that.

Snapshot Sunday | His Happy Face

My dear friend over at Barely Controlled Chaos made a list of goals for the year that included taking a “favorite photo of the week” in an attempt to pick up her camera more this year.  In my own life blogging fell by the wayside for so many reasons in the last two years.

The other night as I read through some old blog posts and released a couple more drafts that got left behind here at PBP , I realized how important this platform is in recording the precious moments the G.I.D. and I share with our sons.

Moments that I would have otherwise have forgotten.

Moments that make me happy.

So as I took pictures of Harrison late Saturday night for my 366 Project (picture a day), I captured a moment that I kept coming back to for the rest of the weekend. He was in the middle of a laugh while putting together a new Lego set.

I caught that happy face and I LOVE this picture.

I LOVE his HAPPY FACE.

One of the categories my friend has added to her blog is “Snapshot Sunday” a resurrection of sorts of Best Shot Monday … and I loved Best Shot Monday. (Apparently, I’m feeling a lot of love this Monday morning…)

I know it’s Monday, but I was computer-free yesterday and I just had to share MY favorite snapshot this week, Harrison in his “Happy Place”.

Happy Monday!

Must Love Legos

There must have been a note accompanying him when he was born inscribed with “must love Legos” but I missed it.

Maybe the love of Legos is just embedded in the male DNA like leaving the toilet seat up, hogging the TV remote or watching Star Wars over and over again.

All I  know is that he discovered them at age three and it has been an unceasing love affair ever since.

BUT…as much as he loves them [and I get lost for hours building the sets - only to have them torn back down, brick by brick], they are also the bane of my existence.

Organizing them in the old house was bad enough, but the new smaller space? UGH!

I swear they multiply at night and strategically place themselves about the house so that we step on them in the morning, cursing the people who created them. Every. Single. Person.

Everything I tried to organize them so far has failed, deep bins mean a dump onto the floor is eminent on any given day. [even I had to dump Legos out to find small pieces for sets I was reconstructing] I knew I needed clear, shallow boxes that were easy to manage and would fit in Harrison’s existing closet shelves. So after AH-LOT of internet searching in vain;  I finally stumbled upon the perfect container – ON SALE for 40% off! Joanne’s Fabrics carries Protect N Store boxes,  normally used by scrapbookers and crafters but they are perfect. Oh the beauty of organization!

They even have inserts that fit inside the box for further organization, perfect for the 60+ mini-figs floating around the house.

We have since filled up three (Ikea Expedit) cubbies below, 

five containers deep.
That’s a lot of Legos.

I’m thinking I LOVE Legos.

There be Leprechauns Out There!

Harrison’s kindergarten class had to make leprechaun traps; I don’t remember making leprechaun traps as a kid. Ever.

Apparently, being of Irish descent…
I was deprived.

A Lego Mini-fig got a jump on the trap before it went to school, “Ooh, Gold!” he exclaimed.
[No seriously, He did]

Uh-Oh! Trouble!




“It’s a Trap!”



Did you really think he could keep Star Wars out if it?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Wordless Wednesday | Toy Wars

When Wooden People and Lego People disagree...

"me and my three ninja friends can take all of you wooden heads... including the little bald baby in the back!!"

More Wordless Wednesday here.

Photo Story Friday - We have a Poltergeist!

That's what the G.I.D. said when he came out to the living room to tell me I needed to come see something.

"Oh no", I thought, wondering what I would find. After all Harrison is going through a second phase of turning on the light to play after bedtime. Only now days he's not upstairs in the back of the house, he's just down the hall.

When I glanced in his room, he lay crashed in his bed with Legos all around him, on the floor, dresser, bed and in his sleeping hands. When he went to bed, his room was clean, his Legos were tucked away in the closet waiting for a new day.

Frankly, I breathed a sigh of relief in that it wasn't another "No David" incident. (By the way, we haven't read that book since that incident. And I didn't send him off for counseling either...)

Two things struck us about this scenerio (not to mention he was JUST DOWN THE HALL):

a) Once again we didn't hear him. (and have I mentioned we're only down the hall...) Apparently we were too engrossed in the final season of Lost. Either that, or he is the stealth bomber of five-year-olds. Not. A. Sound. - but deadly serious in his after bedtime play.

and
...
b) Is the vintage dog, strategically placed to watch the door, really that good of a look-out? Does Harrison know something about that dog that we don't know?


The dog put there. Random.

We have our hands full with this one, oh yes, it's just beginning... He's a sneaky one.

I love how he just plays until he falls asleep, toys in hand and words on lips (but I'm really going to have to move that lamp).



No child was awakened in the making of this moment.




Hosted by Cecily and Life With Kaishon

Legos Have Taken Over My Brain!

Harrison inherited a box load of legos - literally - from Big Brother a few months ago. I finally bought a container and organized them, sort of.

Suddenly he was busy for hours! Who knew it only took a box of random Legos to occupy that constantly ticking mind of his (well this and the unceasingly building with blocks). Heck, I would have pulled them out earlier!

After playing with the endless stream of Legos, I took a look at all the bits and pieces daily scattered acreoss the floor and decided it was time to put some of the sets together. I waded through the pile of  Lego booklets only to discover the only actually instruction books still left were for the sets that were obviously missing the most pieces, everything else was advertising. Bummer.


So I did the next best thing...

I went online! [I ♥ the internet!]

After looking at pictures of completed sets in the little "envy" booklets enclosed with every Lego set, Harrison and I were able to determine the set number. (I determined the number, he happily yelled, "That's the one!!" with each discovery.)

Minimal surfing produced instructions and part lists for several sets, so we I built this:

And this...

...and even this.

I can honestly say that I now have a personal relationship with Legos; I never dreamt that I would get to know Lego pieces so well.

Apparently, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...


Check out Slurping Life for more pictures - Straight Out Of the Camera.