Little Doors

Advent gift

Christmas Tree 2011
 After Thanksgiving, I was out doing a little Christmas shopping when I ran across a LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar.  I have never bought one in the past, but a friend with three boys told me how fun they were and how much her boys had loved it.  AND it was at the top of both of the Little Nguyens' Christmas lists.  So, I picked it up and we gave it to them on the first Sunday of Advent.  They were excited after decorating the Christmas tree that day, and when they came downstairs after getting ready for bed, they saw the package sitting under the tree that hadn't been there before.  

Before it was even unwrapped, the little sleuths had pretty much decided what was concealed under the paper, with the Second Little Nguyen confirming, "I know it's not a chocolate Advent calendar!"  My dad and mom always bought one for me when I was a little girl, and I loved opening the little doors each day to eat the little shaped chocolate inside.  Usually, I buy one each for the boys for Advent, and we have our little Advent wreath with the purple and pink candles for each Sunday,but this year was a little more of a treat.  Totally, little boy-style Advent thinking, but not really the faith-based activity I should have probably organized.  I had very good intentions, but it's hard to relate LEGOs to the birth of our Lord, and I should have known that.  It wasn't really the lesson I was going for.

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Opening it together

Star Wars Advent calendar

 Given that it was kind of a pricey gift, I only bought one for them to share, so they had to take turns each day opening a door.  Benjamin got to see what was behind door number one, and Thomas got to build it, and vice versa.  They loved each little mini-model, and they are all now lined up in their bedroom, set up in a space-aged Star Wars scene!

The first little door 

It was fun to see what was behind door #1!

It took about two minutes to assemble...

All done!

At first, I was kind of disappointed with the whole purchase.  I thought it was going to be the kind of thing they could use again next year, but I should have known that the brilliant brick engineers at LEGO would not make that possible.  The doors on the box don't really close very well for reuse, plus these two have already memorized what is behind each door and exactly how to construct each item.  No building directions needed.  Oh, well, I thought.  So, I have chalked it up to childhood fun.  It . brought them a lot of joy to discover what was behind each door.  Just look at that smiles in the pictures above --  they made it worth every penny of those $37.