In Love With Lego Duplo

Hi

Some of you will know that I got Aaron Lego Duplo for Christmas.  It took me a long time in Toys R Us to land on Lego Duplo because I was torn by Mega Bloks. Yep it was Lego Duplo versus Mega Bloks.

But there really is no comparison.  My Sister In Law got Aaron mega blox and we got him Lego Duplo.  I tried the Mega Blox twice and didn't like it, so it stays in the box.  The colours, the feel of the plastic, the way they stick together...... nothing compares to LEGO.  They really are the market leader for a reason.  I just love the FEEL of the lego and the vibrant colours.  And as any good toy manufacturer know, Mum needs to like the toys too!

Anyway, when presented with the lego Aaron didn't show that much interest and the only thing he liked doing was emptying the box (we got the version where it comes in a big plastic tub).  If Mummy made something, even if it took an hour, his favourite thing to do, was break it bit by bit, or just quickly throw it across the room, to shatter everywhere.  He has learned DESTRUCT, but he is yet to learn BUILD, even though he has been building Ikea beakers since last Summer.  Anyway, I had varying reactions to his breaking of my master creations, and it was like he enjoyed watching the many reactions, seeing that they were sometimes despair, sometimes disappointment, sometimes teary, and sometimes dumbstruck, depending on the effort we'd both put in.... LOL.

One thing I discovered just after Xmas was that colour blocking them, before putting them in the box is highly highly therapeutic.  Especially if you feel like your life has been chaotic since baby came along.  Colour blocking gives you a few minutes of ORDER and it feels like sanity - if you relate to what I am saying, and have some lego to hand, don't delay do it now:

The full set, colour blocked

The set that we have from Santa to Aaron

Colour blocked complete with "man"

The ultimate in order - colour blocked in box!

So, now, on to some of MY creations (given that Aaron can't build yet).

front

side

back (this creation uses every piece including the car!)

The underneath to show the "foundation"

As you can see, I am loving Lego, but this blog, which I found today, is in a whole other league.  The standard of the photography is awesome.  If you are a lego fan, you must take a look.

Bye for now, Liska & Aaron.

xxx

CHRISTMAS 2011

Hi

Well it didn't go with a bang, but it certainly didn't go with a whimper either, so I am feeling fine about Christmas 2011.  A neutral place I wasn't expecting to be in on 22nd December.

23rd December had me sitting in my favourite cafe, crying! Telling my favourite cafe owner that Christmas this year was cancelled. That I hadn't bought a gift or a card.  Hadn't put up decorations nor tree.  Done nothing! BUT, she said you can turn it around and I did not believe her.

Well hubby put the decorations up on Tuesday 20th December - he's never ever ever done them by himself but he could tell nobody else was gonna! And he even did the tree and decorated it. People can surprise you sometimes, and when you are someone who can't delegate, it's even more of a surprise.

So Friday morning I stayed in, because it looked like it was gonna rain.  After a few hours, it hadn't, so me, Aaron and the buggy left.  Of course, it promptly....... rained.... Put the plastic cover over him and buggy and bottle and he promptly fell asleep while mummy walked in the rain and cried.

Got to the shops and had lunch instead of shopping and ended up crying on my cafe owner's shoulder.

That night hubby collected us from another cafe (yes I went on to another one) and took us, what he believed was food shopping, only I asked him to pop to Toys R Us so we could get Aaron's present.  He stayed in the car, and I ended up in their for a couple of hours getting all the niece and nephew's presents.  Aaron was happy sitting in the shopping trolley as there was so so much to look at.

The store was DEAD quiet and way over staffed.  The staff were only helpful if you got chatting to them.  If you asked a brief question, you got a one-word answer.  And none of them had Santa hats on. There was NOTHING festive about the store and this was 23rd December!!! Such a difference after how Xmassy all the Butlins staff were.

I ended up spending £240 in there and I didn't see the bargains that the press have been going on about.  The V Tech Innotab was out of stock in Argos and Toys R Us.

I got Aaron Lego Duplo, but was sad to find on Xmas Day that he is not at all interested in it - he is 18 months old.

I bought Zubber Bands for my niece but played with them on Xmas Day with her and was very sad to find that they do not set - don't waste £14.99 on them!  Luckily I got her a sticker book too which she simply loved!

I bought Rapidough for my nephew and we all played it and loved it.

I bought a Kidiminiz for my younger niece but was quite shocked at how limited what it can do is.  You love it at first but soon get bored.  She is only 3 years of age, but soon realised she had seen all it could do.  I did get one in a different colour for my other niece but they are in Kent for Xmas, so I will be interested to see her reaction. For her sister I got a shoulder bag that you colour in.  She is also in Kent so will wait to see what she thinks of it.

We did still go food shopping even though it was very very late.  And we only spent £92 as I said what's the point in doing a massive shop when the supermarkets are only closed for 2 days (first time I've taken that attitude).

Anyway, I spent Xmas with the in-laws and it was a lovely day.  Husband was at work, so Aaron and I played with his cousins all day and it was lovely.

I made a traditional Xmas dinner today, boxing day, (as hubby is off today) and it was the tastiest Xmas dinner I have ever made in my life.  We really enjoyed it.  I did all the vegetables in Saladmaster. I even managed delicious roast potatoes.

For the last few years I haven't had to make dinner so I was VERY nervous about making it, but I think even my Mum would have found it tasty - if she'd come! I invited her but she stayed in Ireland!

So I am no longer scared of making Xmas Dinner and was very proud of my efforts today.  Would upload a photo but I don't know what I have done with the download cable.

I have Corrie on right now but am writing this instead of watching it.

Aaron is asleep right now even though it is 20:13.  He went to sleep just before 19:30 because we all slept in till midday today - terrible I know!

He had late nights and mornings every day this week as hubby slept in with him everyday, but I got him back into his 9 p.m. bedtime routine on Xmas Eve (bed at 8:45 and asleep by 9) but he slept till 10 a.m. on Xmas Day (13 hours sleep - unlike him) but then hubby didn't collect us from his parents till after midnight yesterday and it was 1:30 when we went to bed.  Aaron had slept there for a few hours but it mustn't have been quality sleep as we all slept till 12 midday today.  With Aaron having his afternoon nap now, God knows what time tonight he will be up until.  I thought I'd cracked it having him asleep by 9 p.m. on Xmas Eve after him having 4 late nights but with yesterday it is all out of the window again.

I am glad with how much I like my sleep that I have a baby who knows how to lie in :-)

Sorry this post is full of rambling but that is what I fancy right now and on this one ocassion I am writing for the writer and NOT for the reader.  Like I used to do before I found out there were 2,500 of you out there :-)

So normally for me, Xmas is ALL about the buildup, but this year, that was all out of the question, but somehow, it was okay, in the end.

Next year will be the year where Aaron will really understand Xmas and I will have to get everything right.

My housework still isn't done. but I'll have to set myself the new deadline of New Year's Eve.

20:26 and Aaron's up.  Bye for now,

Liska xxxxx