TO GOOD USE

If I had a dollar for every 'thank you' I heard today coming from Sage's mouth, I might have enough money to buy the children another Lego table. He showed an immense amount of gratefulness for his new Lego sets, walking up to me every step of the way in building the next two trucks in his Excavator and Truck set.

'Mama, look' I heard him say. I looked as he showed me how he put together the contents of bag number 3 from the headlights to the stickers to the functioning lift of the blue dump truck. Sage was so excited and so proud of his accomplishments. At one point, I walked over to the table and placed the pieces of the truck bed in a manner to resemble a table and chairs. He thought it funny and we all joined in and placed food on the 'table'.

My children are excited about many things but today they both were attached to their Christmas present. Their Lego Flip Top Playtable. The only time they left its side is for our late breakfast and dinner. Even then they were reluctant to leave. When Saffron called on Skype, I walked over with the iPad to show her all the sets her siblings put together. I felt bad she was not here to help them.

I hesitated at the Amazon checkout before Christmas. The table was sitting in the shopping cart for weeks as I wondered if it was a wise decision for me to purchase it. Two days before Christmas I ordered it for them and it turns out it was the best purchase I have made in a long time. I considered wrapping the table in its shipping box but took it out of the box and propped it against the wall unassembled. Sage and Cinnamon were thrilled to see it when they arrived at my place last Friday.

The children had an identical table at their father's house. I fondly remember all three children playing with the table as they were growing up, albeit the side they used most was the one with the green plates. The one for the Duplo blocks. They have many Duplo blocks and sets at their father's place and I often wonder if I should buy them for my place of simply continue getting them the smaller Lego bricks and sets.

I asked about getting the table to my place since all of their toys resided at his place. In the first few months of the children staying with me, they had nothing to play with and were often left with nothing to do. They were bored - understandably so. At one point, I decided to stop asking, seeing how neither the table nor any of their toys ever made it to my place on the many drop offs in our weekly exchange of the children.

After Sage completed his dump truck, he asked if he could build something else from the medium sized box of the random Lego classic bricks. An instruction booklet was included for a few designs but I realised they will need more idea booklets, sets, and bricks in the future. For now, the children worked together in making the train and caboose, the flower tree, and the alligator. The Lego table was put to good use today by both children. Their delight brought a smile to my face.