Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Walls of Inspiration

One of the places we love to go when visiting Chicago is the downtown Lego Store on Michigan Avenue.

My boys love to play with Legos. Their Dad bought them a large box full of them a few months ago and the three of them play together every night. My husband played Legos endlessly as a child, and it brings him such joy to see his boys playing with them now.

I love watching the two of them and their Dad play with their Legos. Their imaginations run wild as they work and create and meticulously build all kinds of things. Their creativity blows me away.

The downtown Lego Store has a little room with a wall of bins - each filled with different colors of Lego pieces. You can put together your own box of Legos - choosing the specific colors and shapes and sizes that you want.

My boys love this room.

They are inspired here - imagining all of the wonderful things they can create with their two little hands - and seeing before them endless possibilities.



As we continued down Michigan Avenue, we landed at Crate and Barrel.

I browsed through the newest pots and pans and coffee makers and dishes and glassware - touching and dreaming and marveling at how much I love being surrounded by such marvelous things.

My boys stood in front of the gadget wall - naming the tools they recognized, and thoroughly inspecting the ones they'd never seen.


In that moment, I realized something about that wall.

They are inspired here - imagining all of the wonderful things they can create with their two little hands - and seeing before them endless possibilities.

They've caught their Dad's passion.

And, in the same, unexpected and beautiful way, they've caught mine.

16 comments:

  1. LOVE IT!


    btw ... you didn't like Legos when you were a kid?!? I LOVED them!

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  2. You have such a neat way of tying up a story, Sar. Very clever. And, oh-so-true! How wonderful!

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  3. Oh, I loved Legos when I was little, too. Shawn & I want to go to Legoland someday. Ok, I'm the one who wants to go to Legoland. Lol!

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  4. JM,

    I didn't really play with Legos as a kid. My brothers did - all the time!

    Ironically, I didn't like being in the kitchen as a kid either! ;)

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  5. Legos never sparked any sort of creativity in my mind. I had a pack of them given to Julia as a little child, and I just stared at them. If not looking at the sample ideas, all I can build is a wall! Marc, on the other hand, loves them! Neat trip!

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  6. That is so sweet! I love to see my children understanding our passions and learning to love them. I adore watching my daughter write and read. she is far from independent in the actual skill but she Love it so much!

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  7. I used to dislike kitchen duty too, SS. And weeding.... and taking out the garbage... and ...

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  8. What a fun Lego store. However - I think I would like Crate and Barrel more!

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  9. How fun to see both of you rubbing off our your children! It shows how much they look up to you guys and enjoy the things you enjoy!

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  10. You just wanted to play with your dolls....being a mommy has always been on your list of loves.

    Cute post. I can really see both of your personalities coming out in your boys.

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  11. i loved legos when i was a kid. my brother, sister and i would spend hours building things. most of the time, for me, it was houses for my tiny dolls =)

    legos have come a long way since then. i would have loved a legos store.

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  12. My daughter has played with Legos from the time she could sit up. First, there were the really big ones (that she couldn't swallow). She made big towers and sometimes put them on wheels and hauled them around. Later, she had the mid-size ones and would sit and build structures. Now, she has graduated to the little ones. She is content to play with them for hours and hours. She's built castles, boats, aquariums, houses. She's even asked for a Lego-themed birthday party next month. We are more than happy to oblige her request. LOL!

    As for the kitchen tools, she's more likely to experiment with running the silverware through the garbage disposal. Ha!

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  13. Love this post!!!!

    Colin is my one that loves the legos the most right now - and I'm gauging that on he's the longest to stay content with them - hours! Which is great with the new school year starting up.

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  14. I love this post! Great observation. Well stated.

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  15. loved it!

    as much as Landon is ALL boy, wants to be with and like his daddy - that boys loves to cook and be in the kitchen with him mama. its all about being together and having that quality time.

    i am not one bit surprised your boys loved looking at the cooking tools!

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