Post 363: Super Charged Minivan Heaven

Ever since reading that you can change the startup screen on the Toyota minivan console I have been meaning to. I just love that kind of stuff.

Yesterday I was finally ready to do it and realized I didn’t know what I wanted my custom image to look like?, then I thought, hey why not photoshop up a minvan-copter? The kids will love it!

Of course the idea of adding some sort of aeronautical device to the minivan is almost as old as this blog, but for whatever reason, Luke has been talking about it a lot recently.

The original concept was wooden wings, but Luke soon confessed he felt they would be too cumbersome. The recent version is a helicopter prop, so I put both ideas together and came up with this:

I loaded into the car,  I go get Luke from school, he sees it instantly and goes:

“What’s that?”

I explain it was something I did.

“That looks pretty good, Dad, good idea. If that is your finished plan then all I think I need to add is some polyurethane.”

Sounds great Luke.

A day later he comes up to me and states very matter of factually:

“I’m going to have to see the gas tank. I need to see if there is enough room for a super charger?”

Ok, Luke, sounds good.

“The super charger will allow the minivan to go 120,000 miles an hour” he says with raised eye brows.

“It will only take two minutes to get to Legoland!”

I do some quick math out loud and discover it will take closer to 2 seconds at that speed to get to Legoland and Luke is now REALLY impressed.

The other part of the equation is how much is NOT on his radar and I believe it is linked to access to media. My example is this. Luke loves Lego’s, Luke will stroll down the Lego aisle at Target and study the boxes and point out all kinds of detailed thoughts. Luke has never seen a Lego movie. So why is it that he never ONCE has asked about the Lego movie posters that a strewn about the world, on the side of buses only inches from his face sometimes, never says a word. If we had seen a Lego movie I believe it would be otherwise.

Meanwhile a super charged mini-copter is TOTALLY on his radar, big time!

Post 268: Crazy transitions

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Not sure if this is a trend and I pray it ain’t, but the first two days back from winter break at Luke’s school and as soon as Luke and Lily get together it is instantly a brawl. Just plain old craziness.

Day one:
We got home and the first thing Luke does is get a whole bunch of baboos (the smallest, round colorful lego’s) and go up to Lily and say, MY BABOOS!!! (in a roar), to which Lily responds NO, MY BABOOS!! (in a roar)

A bit if mayhem ensued crying, sobbing, the end result was me temporarily taking the baboos and explaining that it is not ok to torment your sister (or anyone else) with the baboos.

Day two:
In the car and there is a full on meltdown from both sides over holding onto a strap that attaches to a car seat, I am not even sure what the strap does. Screaming, crying, kicking and general unhappiness ensues.

My perception is that two things happen.

Luke has spent the day in a very structured environment, which he loves, but now it is time to strut his stuff.

Lily has had a quiet, peaceful healthy amount of me time doing her own stuff. She is also at her low point of her day in terms of energy.

Luke wants to express his individuality and to do something that reminds him of his self, Lily lust wants to hang with Luke, but is on a hair trigger.

Result, complete abject misery for all! (but only briefly). Remarkably it passes (with my pointed and not so calm intervention) and the rest if the day goes off without a hitch.

Thats how it has been for the last two days at least, we shall see what happens today!

ps, no I didn’t forget to talk about Christmas

Post 265: Police Station and booby trap

Been a little while since Luke’s made anything free form in Lego that he is as excited about as he is with this.

Its a police station and an adjacent booby trap to catch the bad guys.

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He kept telling me how the policeman only had one arm, so all he could do was hold the handcuffs.
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There is also a sign in sheet out front, “As long as you are not a bad guy” says Luke.