LEGO Motorized Walking AT-AT

WARNING: Proud Mama Brag Session to Follow...

Now that I have warned you, I can continue to brag on the sheer brilliance of my oldest joy with reckless abandon!

You see, my oldest joy- the one that looks like his mama, but acts like his daddy- he has completed the construction of his greatest project to date.

In the fall, he found this 'toy' in his LEGO catalog:
And from that moment on, Superman nor I experienced one single, solitary day in which we didn't have to hear about how the oldest joy just had to have it for Christmas. How that 'toy' would make him so happy...if he got it he would use all of his best manners...forever...he would be able to get along with his brother...he would be able to end global warming...all would be well in his happy little world.

Did you notice that the box specifically says the 'toy' is meant for children ages 14+? I did! And my boy, despite my complete belief in his sheer genetic brillance, is only 9!

I truly thought it was a waste of $100+, but Superman disagreed.

Remember, my oldest joy may look like me, but he is a carbon copy of Superman. They are both introverts. They both have an inate need to collect things. And they both are driven crazy by the flighty, careless ways of me and the littlest joy.

Oh yeah, and they are both addicted to all-things Star Wars.

Needless to say, Christmas morning brought the arrival of one LEGO Motorized Walking AT-AT. I did manage to put my foot down and not allow him to start building the AT-AT first. He received at least 10 other LEGO sets over Christmas. We had him start with the easier ones and work his way through the harder ones.

Last night, as I soaked in the tub, I heard waves of cheers erupt throughout the house. Before I could get out and dry off, three sets of feet made there way into the bedroom to share the good news.

All 1,137 pieces were put together (using over 150 pages of instructions) and the AT-AT was walking!

Can you see the love in his eyes? It's not to be confused with the 'mama go away with the camera and let me play with this' look in his eyes!

I dare say this is a proud moment for the joy- and his mama! It took him almost three weeks to finish it. There were nights when I had to force him to go to bed and stop working on it. There were times when I had to force him to take a break and get some fresh air. There were days that I declared 'LEGO-free days' that nearly killed him. There were also times when I had to break up arguments between the two joys, because the littlest joy derived great pleasure in running, jumping, and bouncing through their bedroom during critical moments of construction!

So much for the promise to use his best manners and get along with his brother.

But, maybe all of his engineering marvels will lead him to really finding a solution to global warming!

A mama can dream, can't she?

P.S. Thank you to Superman for answering the question plaguing my uninformed mind. AT-AT is the abbreviated name given to this fine piece of Star Wars battle equipment. It stands for All Terrain Armored Transport.

And now you know!