We brought a bunch of LEGO with us from home.  We transported it in large Ziploc bags and then dumped it into a big plastic tub when we got to the boat.  Well, let me tell you, that LEGO has been the best “toy” we brought with us.  We packed a tub of trains for Ethan that he doesn’t play with, a few cars and trucks that he occasionally plays with, the boys got to bring a couple of stuffies with them each and lots of books, but that is about it for toys.

Well, LEGO is the universal toy.  Kids who don’t speak much English and mostly Spanish can play LEGO.  Girls who are slightly older than James, but we have made friends with anyways, will play LEGO with all three of the boys all afternoon.  From the moment they get up, to the moment they fall into their beds at night, James, Matthew and Ethan are building, sorting, hoarding, looking, finding, playing, imagining and rebuilding LEGO.  It is interspersed with other playing, school, fighting, going to the beach, visiting other boats, wrestling, doing chores and about a million other things, but they always come back to the LEGO.  A few other kid boats we have met also have LEGO on board, but the sets and pieces are just different enough that it is like a brand new thing for the boys when they get to play with someone else’s LEGO.

Here’s a few pics of their creations.

James and Matthew built a re-creation of Tatooine, from Star Wars, complete with Watto’s junk shop, a bar and parking spot for a speeder.

Close-up of Tatooine

Matthew’s pirate ship. We did a stop-motion video with this one which had the pirate going over board and a shark eating him!

James’ Santa Claus approaching a rooftop.

Matthew’s tanker ship

Ethan’s ship with a load of money

Ethan’s creation, often built very precariously, one twinge and it falls apart, but he puts it back together exactly the same way every time.

Millenium Falcon from Star Wars with Han Solo and Chewbacca, built by James. Are you sensing a theme here?

Matthew sitting in the salon, building a LEGO mammoth.

Ethan, in the salon, playing LEGO.

LEGO playdate with Olivia from the boat Natalie. Not sure what Matthew’s problem is…

Boy am I glad we took as much LEGO as we did.

L

Stay tuned for a post of our stop motion videos!