The Lego Store - 10/1/08

Muslims go to Mecca. Jews go to Jerusalem. Catholics go to the Vatican. And now, my sons can finally worship at the altar of the almighty brick.

In other words: The Lego store has opened.

This column may not make sense if:

• You’ve never spent a Sunday afternoon sifting through a vacuum cleaner bag, searching for a Lego that was inadvertently sucked up the hose.

• You’ve never felt pain as the most tender part of your foot connects with that tiny Lego brick hidden in the carpet.

• Your children have not come to blows over who gets possession of the Storm Trooper bodies.

• You’ve discovered (midway through building) that your set is missing a part, necessitating a call to Lego and an express shipment from Denmark.

If none of these scenarios seem familiar, feel free to skip right to the birthdays.

My older son began his love affair with Legos with a small set purchased from, oddly enough, a zoo gift shop (with all the monkey masks and lemur key chains, the Lego kit seemed an odd choice). His fingers were still awkward, he needed help identifying the right pieces and fitting them together, but as soon as the set was complete, it was obvious he was hooked.

Larger kits soon followed, and before long his requests for assistance tapered off until eventually he could sit for hours at a time, methodically reading directions and assembling his sets brick by brick without any help. Any fears I might have about his ability to focus fly out the window when I see him completely engrossed with his Legos.

Now both of my boys are Lego freaks, saving their allowances for Star Wars, Mars Mission and Indiana Jones sets. My older son has even done three tours of duty with Sylvester School’s Lego Robotics Team (proud Mom moment: His rookie team won a trophy made of Legos at the First Lego League competition last year.)

Another Hanover mom and I decided on a reconnaissance mission to the new Lego store at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. My heart began to beat faster as I spied the familiar red and white logo across the mall. Those of you with daughters close your eyes and imagine an American Girl Place opening in Braintree. Yeah, it’s like that.

As we entered the store, our mouths dropped in awe as we saw every possible Lego set displayed along the walls. There were barrels of Legos for in-store play. Key chains, Jell-O molds, school folders, magazines, all sporting the Lego logo and just begging to be bought. And finally, the piece de resistance: the entire back wall of floor-to-ceiling bins containing a pick-n-mix assortment of Lego parts. Just grab a pre-priced container and shove in as many pieces as you can.

Composing myself, I asked the employees about their new location. Yes, they will host birthday parties, starting in January. Yes, they get an employee discount (hmmm). One employee was visiting on his day off, taking the six thousand-piece Taj Mahal set home to assemble. Sporting a Transformers t-shirt, he chatted with me about his adult Lego club, and that’s when it hit me: This could be my son, twenty years from now.

If there’s a brick-head living in your house, be sure to take them to the Plaza for what’s sure to be a fun, exciting and possibly expensive afternoon.