Girl Geek

My Mother called me from a Toys R Us in Utah early in November. She does this around the holiday season. Which is fine because then I can yea or nay her and steer towards things that her grandsons will really love. Except she doesn't need my help. My Mom is good at knowing what my sons like. This year, for instance, she called asking about the item pictured above.

I should tell you right now that I have wanted a Millennium Falcon toy since I was four years old and first discovered Star Wars. I was the only girl on my street, so when we played it I was always Princess Leia. I can still reenact scenes with alarming accuracy. And check out the family Halloween costumes from three years ago:

Fabulous, right?! I began to realize that not all girls/women shared my love and adoration of Star Wars when we had a birthday party for Nathaniel a year or two ago. I tried making TIE fighters out of mini bundt cakes. It wasn't my best work, but all of the kids and Dads knew what they were. The other Moms did not. Not even a little bit. I was appalled. How could they not recognize a TIE fighter and then when I told them what it was, how could they not know what a TIE fighter was? Silly women.

Anyway, back to my Mom. I did not get a Millenium Falcon. Ever. Also, Danny Versfeldt stole all of my Star Wars action figures and they were never replaced. The last one I received was Lando Calrissian for Christmas right before I turned 5. That Spring, Danny asked to go into my house to "use the bathroom" and suddenly had to run home right after he came out. My tin of action figures was never seen again.

Todd had ALL the Star Wars figures because his Dad worked for Kenner Toys at the time. His younger siblings destroyed them all. Between Todd and I we have purchased as many Star Wars things for our kids as our wallets and common sense could afford. I asked for the Galactic Heroes Millenium Falcon for Christmas five years ago. And for my birthday. And for Mother's Day. Nobody got it for me. It's still on my amazon.com wishlist, if anyone really feels the need to fill this gaping hole in my life.

I give you all this back story because I want you to understand that when my mother called from Toys R Us in Utah and asked if she could buy the ENORMOUS Millennium Falcon for my boys for Christmas, I said "no". N. O. No. I did mention that her grandson's would love her forever if she did, but that I was not giving it my stamp of approval. I had stood in Target just the previous week lusting after the same toy. The price tag was enough to dissuade me. But also, IT IS TWO AND HALF FEET LONG!!! It is a really big toy, people!! Heather, the Awesome, was sitting in my kitchen with me while I spoke to my Mother and informed me that the right answer was 'yes' because her kids would enjoy it, too, and was my Mom interested in adopting her boys for Christmas? This only fueled my Mother's resolve. I told her that I still wasn't approving the purchase. But, guess what showed up under my tree? Yes. An ENORMOUS box.

And her grandsons were excited. But guess who was more excited? Guess who spent lots of time putting on decals and assembling all two and a half feet worth of pieces? And guess who spent all of the battery power in the camera on Christmas morning taking interior shots of a plastic space ship, instead of pictures of her kids, husband and in-laws?

Princess Leia. That's who.

So, thanks, Mom. I may trip over it on a regular basis. But several of us have been enjoying playing with our fun new toy.