For years we've had this old table that Morgan hauled home from church one summer and since O was about 3 1/2 we've used is as a Lego table. It was functional but ugly. Not unlike some of our other furniture. My favorite part about it was the vintage pin legs. For awhile now I've been trying to figure out how to organize Owen's growing collection of Legos and along with that contemplating the fate of the ugly table. Owen is fairly resistant to any organization system beyond keeping the Legos in a container or his preferred method-just lying around on all the flat surfaces in the living room. After much contemplation and the purchase a a large square Lego panel I decided I was going to build Owen a new table. First I decided I would repurpose the table legs because I liked them and funky old table legs are not easy to find. Then I need to figure out what material to use for the table top. It also needed an edge to keep the Legos on the table and I planned to get a few more flat panels to put on it for building. After a trip to Home Depot and some wandering around I decided to use 3/4" MDF for the base, which comes in large sheets (I had it cut down at HD) and some quarter round moulding for the edge. I also thought a few drawers would be handy so I picked up a few at Ikea. The drawers were the hardest part because I wasn't sure how I was going to attach them and I ended up talking to one of the guys at the pro desk at HD who helped me figure out how to build and attach a rail underneath for the drawers to slide on.
After an adventurous (first) trip to HD with Owen (because we had to have one of the extra MDF pieces cut down more because I couldn't lift it or get it in the car) Owen and I began working on the table while Morgan was in MT. We also had a crazy trip to the Lego store at the Mall of America on a rainy Saturday afternoon. The MOA is not a place to go on a rainy Saturday afternoon if you want to get in and out of the place. The place is full of tourists, theme park goers and on that particular day make-up artists and tap dancers!
In all I think the project took me less than a week (because I had to work a few days) and three trips to Home Depot. The three trips were because some decisions weren't made before the first trip and that is due to the fact that I work out a project as I go along.
Here is the completed table.
The table measures 50x32 and it's painted a very light gray. I'd post more pictures but shortly after this was taken it was covered with creations and in progress creations! I thought it would solve the problem of creations being built on the coffee table and dining room table but it seems that may take some coaching. Owen loves it and was super thrilled to have it completed and moved into the living room. It also looks much nicer in there than the old, ugly one.
Tomorrow is Owen's last day of Kindergarten. I have mixed feelings about this. I am excited that summer is here and we can do some fun things. I'm sad because the year went so fast and Owen is growing and changing so fast. I can't believe he's six. This week he took a shower and washed his own hair. Up until this point he's been a bath and have his hair washed by one of us kind of kid. Lately he's been feeling out more of his independence. The hair washing. The shower. Tonight he told us, very boldly, that he was NOT going to say excuse me after he burps. I had to let Morgan address that because I was laughing. I'm also happy the year is done because frankly, his teacher was a dud. Between her being new this year and getting pregnant and very sick and being out for six weeks she was just not really a great teacher. It's also difficult to be objective because up to this point all of Owen's preschool and ECFE teachers have been Cadillacs so it's difficult when you get a Pacer. And then there is my dislike for change. As I've gotten older I've come to accept that change is going to happen but I don't accept the change well. And even though I've been anticipating the changes that are happening right now I'm still resistant. My mother once told me that nothing is constant but change and that is no more true than with children. Lately Owen has been talking seemingly non-stop about when he's older and how he wants to be 10 and when he's a teenager. I keep telling him he doesn't have to rush to be older, being a kid is the best and he has to enjoy it while it lasts because he will have plenty of time to be older and pay bills and taxes. There are few times in my life that I would choose to go back but ages 4-7 would be it. And I am enjoying it with him too. Even though the questions about things sometimes get overwhelming. He asked me just today who invented words. And not too long ago after a barrage of questions (that I couldn't answer) he said, "why don't you know? You used to be a teacher!"
So Owen will continue to grown and change and I will go along kicking and screaming and trying to patiently answer all of his questions. And for the ones I can't answer, we can Google!
