Daddy's Birthday

The day before BigBear's birthday, his beloved, but rather distant, football team were playing relatively locally, so he spent the evening going to watch them. And they won. But he didn't get home till gone midnight, high on adrenaline and caffeine. So what he really wanted at 7am was...

"DaddyDaddyDaddy, Happy Birthday Daddy! Do you want your presents Daddy? Where are Daddy's presents Mummy? Are you doing to open your presents Daddy? Do you want them now Daddy? I chose the wrapping paper Daddy, you should open this one first, but don't worry about the rattling Daddy, it's not broken, you should open it now. I'll help you Daddy. Let's open it now Daddy."

Followed by a couple of seconds of frenzied paper-tearing and then a small boy with a beatific smile upon his face, cuddling his Daddy's present and declaring "I love this Daddy. Do you?"

Do you love it Daddy?

(As an aside, I was delighted to be able to buy a nice big box of "standard" lego pieces. It has a nice variety of interesting pieces, and lots of basic blocks, in a variety of colours, from the classic originals to pink and purple too).

Since BigBear's birthday was a work (and therefore nursery) day, but BigBear was treating himself to a day off, I had to drag a tearful small boy away from his Daddy. Or from his Daddy's birthday present. And his Daddy had to absolutely  promise to not play with his new lego until LittleBear got home. So I managed to bunk off work half an hour early so we could scoot home and play with BigBear, and his lego. I don't care if we're busy, there are only a few birthdays in a little boy's life.

BigBear built this little helicopter with his birthday present:

Rather sweet isn't it?

You may think that's underwhelming for a 42 year-old to build from such a large box of lego. You didn't, however, see the Napoleonic land-grab undertaken by LittleBear on the contents of the box. It was extraordinary that BigBear managed to build anything with the meagre leavings he was allowed to choose from.

LittleBear has now done his best to use all the pieces in the box to construct some awesome creatures. First of all, built entirely on his own when I was cooking dinner, is a mighty Tyrannosaurus rex:

T. rex

I just love the claws. And the eyes. And the fact that I didn't help with any of it.

Next up was an as-yet-unnamed creature who has taken three days to complete, in fits and starts. It has wheels, and flippers, and spectacularly enormous teeth. Slightly less obviously, it also has a completely enclosed stomach just behind the mouth.

Rather in the manner of Nursie's udder fixation in Blackadder, LittleBear has something of a tooth fixation, to the extent of reaching a total loss of structural integrity in the underlying creature. Marvellous and magical though this beast is, you only have to look at it askance and the top jaw falls off. I still love it though.

(Fortunately for BigBear's potential enjoyment of his birthday present, he's now in San Francisco for the next 9 days, which should give LittleBear the chance to get over the excitement of New Lego and allow his Daddy to have a play as well when he gets home.)