Star Wars Lego Does Well with Slave 1

For me the value in any toy is a combination of the wow-factor and the last-factor. The wow-factor is how thrilled the child is with the item from the moment he sees it. The last-factor is how long and how often they play with it.

WOW!
The Star Wars Lego Slave 1 was a perfect fit for the WOW factor, as he has wanted it for sometime now. Like almost every boy he loves legos and Star Wars. When you put the two together it is irresistable. I think I have to attribute his particular interest in this Star Wars lego (there are many) to playing his Star Wars lego video games. I guess lego does a great job marketing their brick and mortar toys in their virtual versions of the same.

In addition to the ship, the kit also comes with 4 characters. It not includes Boba Fett, but also a Bespin guard, Dengar, and IG-88. I don't understand why, but my kids love these characters sometimes more than the ships. So, this was a big plus. I guess now that they get to play the video game as each of these characters, there is a strong attraction to physically collecting and playing with each of the characters as well. To be honest, I do know who Boba Fett is, but have no idea who these others are. I was especially baffled by I-G-8-8. The first time my son shotgunned that at me I blinked a few times. I replied oooh, I-8-8-8-8, and he just laughed. I truely had no idea what he had just said. Of course, my ignorance of the subject only makes the toy that much more enjoyable.

Basically, this toy has plenty of wow-factor for any Star Wars Lego lover.

How Much Last...?

We were visiting family far from home, but of course he wanted to pull out all 537 pieces and build it as soon as possible. I expected it to take him several hours to put this together, which is one measure of last-factor, and I wasn't disappointed. He needed a little help here and there, but mostly just for some grown up muscle. At one point I had to pull apart something he had put together wrong and it was pretty tough. I glanced down at him with an exasperated look and he chomped the side of his teeth, indicating how he would normally remove the offending piece.

Once he got the toy together and fully functional, I was really impressed. It had several hidden doors with guns and missles and bombs behind them. The bombs really drop, and a missle that really fires, but the others are back to good old imagination. Of course after a few weeks of playing, I'm sure we won't be able to find the bombs and missle, and will be back to imagining all the interaction. Along with all the weapons, the pilot seat rotates with the ship to keep the pilot stablized inside. I believe this is how the ship works in the movies, so it was a nice touch.

Other:

My primary complaint/recommendation is regarding the directions. Everytime I came to help it seemed that something was amiss with the directions. I was having a hard time seeing what was supposed to occur from one step to the next. Then I realized that in these directions, they only showed how the part looked at the end of each step. Normally, there are parts lists for each step and some friendly shadowing to show where the parts go. These instructions were missing all of these clues, and so we were left playing the "what's different between these pictures?" game. Of course this just added to the challenge a bit, and therefore to the last-factor.


Since he just got the toy on Christmas, I haven't determined if this toy will make the list of regularly played with toys or not, but I'll update my blog later with those details. This Lego can be purchased at Target.com for about $50, which is significantly cheaper than other online locations.

Cowboys Suprised by Lions

Today my family and I went to the Dallas Cowboy football game against the weak Detroit Lions, and was I surprised. I went expecting the Cowboys to destroy the Lions in a pretty poor game. Although I was disappointed that the Cowboys lost, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a great game. The many lead changes and big plays on offense and defense made the game fun to watch throughout, and it was a nail-biter until Romo's scramble was stopped on the 1-yard line late in the 4th quarter (just seconds remaining).

Most fans surrounding us didn't mind the loss as much as losing any realistic chance at home game playoff tickets. The Cowboys are the second lowest seed in the playoffs and would have to face the Giants in the third round (if that's possible) to earn a home game. I'm not holding my breath...ok I'm an optimist and can hold my breath for some time. I will never count out a possibility until it is no longer possible:) Which is why we stayed until Romo got stopped.

Since we went to church this morning before the game, we had to rush just to wait for an hour in parking traffic (Note to self, never show up on time or late for a Cowboys game, even a potential blow-out). We did however manage to stop off at Chipotle (high on our favorites list) for several delicious burritos on the way. That saved me a few bucks in stadium food, and as I'm sure will become clear sooner or later in my blogging, I like to save money.

The whole family will be rooting for the Cowboys next week and through the playoffs. That is until they meet the Chargers in the Superbowl. At that point, my long time allegiance to the Chargers will overcome my recent enjoyment of the Cowboys and I will thoroughly enjoy the game as the Chargers trounce the Cowboys. Of course I don't think I can count on recruiting any of my family to cheer with me, as they have all become loyal Cowboy fans:(, but I enjoy a little friendly rivalry.

I almost forgot to mention that I've made an unfortunate prediction for a particular Cowboy. Although I like what he's done for the Cowboys and enjoy his zest for the game, I have to make the call. Tony Romo is a flash-in-the-pan. Many years ago my wife made a similar call. Unfortunately, she chose to claim that none other than Tiger Woods was a flash in the pan. I think I have a little bit better chance of success than she, but just to hedge my bet, "I hope I'm wrong (wink)." Anyway, I think Romo will either be out with the Cowboys no later than the end of next season, or they will continue to flounder. Tony needs to enjoy his 15 games (or so) of fame and be glad he got them.

Just Getting Started

My wife has been blogging for some time now and I never really got interested in it until I started reading her blog. She's an excellent writer and is an entertaining read. I don't have nearly her talent, but wanted to blog about things of interest to me and join in the fun.

I expect to discuss the things I do with my kids, particularly when we get a new toy or game or see a movie. I hope our experiences will help others who are thinking of buying or doing a similar thing. Of course I'd like to get some feedback from others who've had similar experiences or could suggest alternatives.

That's all for now, but I'll post a review of some Christmas items soon.