We
made good use of some extra time around the house the other night. All ten grandkids were here, as well as most
of their parents. By “most” I mean Josh
was in the area, but he was still dealing with the crisis of having a missions
team stranded in Spain because of the coronavirus travel restrictions, so he
spent a lot of time on the phone and on his iPad tracking down information and
in turn disseminating it to their church web site. Classic example of “working from home.”
But
our creative kids came up with an activity.
They grabbed the huge bucket of Lego bricks that we have accumulated
over the years and placed it near the big dining room table. Nani set a timer in the kitchen and three
teams had thirty minutes to use Lego bricks to create a theme park ride. Those of you who have seen the new TV show
know what I am talking about. They
worked steadily for that half an hour, scrambling for bricks and mini-figures
and finding a place for all of them. We
flashed the lights and loudly announced times to let them know where they were
in the process. And then we all counted
down the final ten seconds, followed by a loud, obnoxious beeping sound and the
announcement to “Step away from your creations.” The builders flung their hands into the air
and took a few steps back. The contest –
and their creations – were done.
Uncle
Kel and Jachin and Aunt Christi were judges for the event. They studied the structures hard and listened
to the builders’ stories of explanation about each one. And miraculously, the event ended in somewhat
of a tie. Judge Aunt Christi explained
their thought processes …
Luke
worked by himself throughout the event, blissfully ignoring the work of the other
teams. His theme park ride consisted of
horses - lots of horses - and a great story line. Seems the horses have escaped their enclosure
and you are needed to capture them and bring them back home. He was awarded Most Fascinating Story Line.
Cailyn,
Zak and Micah had a much more intricate development. They actually spelled out the word “Hello” in
a monstrous welcome sign. They included
a ticket booth with people in line. All
very detailed and impressive work.
However, the ride itself was a bit brutal. Would stand in line to be attached to a wagon
with a cable and dragged through the town?
Ouch. But in her indomitable
style, Aunt Christi found a twist of an award for this group as well: Theirs was
the Story I Would Most Want to Watch the Movie Made Based upon the Structure. I’d like to see that one, too.
And
finally, Caleb and Josiah put together an actual adventure ride into the
treacherous waters of a lagoon patrolled by dangerous pirates. Once you row into the pirate-infested waters,
you can shoot at them with your very own water cannon. But beware … they shoot back. The Aunt Christi Award for this Lego Build
was worded: Best at Carrying Out the Theme Requested. And secondarily … the One I Would Most Like
to Ride.
Three
highly creative presentations. Three
totally different approaches. Three
award-winning masterpieces. Loved it. That’s my grandkids.
Psalms
71:22 says, “I will praise you with the
harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.”
Father,
keep our Waco bunch safe on their journey home today. And please bring those stranded travelers
home as well. Amen.
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