Say Uncle, Say Lego

Prelude

This article was first published in 2008, back when image hosting links felt permanent and the internet seemed a little less fragile. Over time, the photographs that originally accompanied this piece disappeared, leaving references to images that no longer exist. Rather than let the article age awkwardly, it has been lightly amended to remove those references, while keeping the original tone, wording, and intent intact. What follows is the same morning, the same Lego, and the same uncle – just without the broken picture links.

This was four weeks ago on a sunny morning whilst we were holidaying on Kangaroo Island with my wife’s parents and her brother’s daughters, just the four of us:

I like to think I am the perfect uncle. The kind of uncle that should be cherished, lauded, applauded, and rewarded with Meals-On-Wheels in his older years. But I am not that old yet. Right now I am the uncle who runs around with the dog whilst the nieces scream like banshees.

I’m also the uncle who sits down to make Lego spaceships and taxi’s for the nieces to smash into a gazillion pieces. Ah, the joy of childhood is never ending, ever smiling, and intent on having lunch all over its cute little face.

So after breakfast of half-eaten toasted vegemite squares and OJ/Lemonade mixed with vegemite that never left the fingers, I was given a command: “Look after the girls, I’m off shopping with my mother!”

Let me make this clear, they were invited to be with us whilst we holidayed on Kangaroo Island.

Whilst I was OK with that, I don’t remember signing a contract that involved child-sitting. Yet this morning turned out more fun than expected. Little kids are lots of fun. Nobody screamed. No nappies were soiled. Nobody, particularly the 3yo and 9yo, argued with Uncle Stephen. We all made Lego traffic together.

Sitting down in the front lounge room with two beautiful nieces, making Lego blocks. I’d already spent a little time that morning shooting photographs of pet dogs, bees, and frisky flies, so this was the perfect way to warm up after almost freezing to death on the empty block of land next door.

I started building a Police Space Ship, beginning as a small personal challenge to see if I could make something using only blue blocks. Achievement was almost possible, and I was quietly pleased with myself.

Standing proudly beside it was a tiny Lego pilot, ready to take his new space toy from the Pony-Head Nebula right through to the Cadbury Milky Way. Remember, these were kids. The names were adjusted to suit their schooling and imagination.

Because children have the most vivid imaginations, and because television pumps out a truck-load of sci-fi cartoons, the older niece explained that every good space ship needs a Space Dock.

She promptly pinched all the bigger blocks from the pile and built a roofless structure beside it. Simple, practical, and entirely fit for purpose. A solid design that needed no adult interference whatsoever.

Once the space ship was deemed complete, I was still feeling enthusiastic. I remember playing with Lego some twenty-something years ago. The joy of creating something from plastic blocks never really leaves. Well, maybe it does for girls. Hard to say.

So I built a taxi. Not huge, but practical, and thoughtfully designed. It wasn’t missing wheels – it was accessible. A ramp at the back allowed wheelchair-bound plastic people to roll straight inside. How good is that?

Would I have ever thought of building something like that as a kid? Did we even have hinged Lego pieces back then? Probably not. Still, it looked pretty cool to me.

So that was a good morning with Uncle Stephen. Two little nieces enjoyed my company, and I got just as much enjoyment being there while they dismantled my Lego creations with ruthless efficiency. I mean, enjoyed watching them push wheels into the carpet until they snapped off and their little hands mangled the cars to death. I was very glad the memories were captured before it got to that stage.

I can’t wait until the next time I get a couple of hours of Lego time with the girls while holidaying on Kangaroo Island.