Sunday, December 19, 2010

It Takes a Village


Welcome to Legano. Located in the north of Italy, in my son's bedroom. Legano is a Lego town, the name inspired by our visit to the town of Lugano, Switzerland, right after Christmas last year. Brandon came home from that day trip and started building this village with his Christmas Legos.

He hasn't stopped since. A year later, the town is thriving, if different. It changes every day. Some days, it's only a small detail added. Other days, it's a complete overhaul. Every day, it is part of him processing our adventure here in Italy, dealing with it from the perspective of a 9 year old.

It started early in the year as we built the different buildings that every town needs. A commune (town hall), gelateria, pizzeria, school, hospital, police station, fire station. Sometimes I would help him build the buildings (I like building the buildings - the police station is my proudest accomplishment), and sometimes he would work on his own. The town changes and grows as he does.

After we visited Rome in the spring, an entire section of Roman ruins cropped up. (Good thing for those Indiana Jones sets!)
As I was studying for my Italian driver's license, street signs and signals began to appear all over town, in abundance.
Friends houses have appeared and disappeared, as his friendships grew and changed - old friends moving away and new friends moving in.
There have been piazzas with umbrella covered tables in the summer. Airports with security and international destinations. Trains and trams and funiculars and buses.
There's even me, with a camera in my hand.

If I ever wondered about the value of play time for children, that wondering for me, is over. When I see piles of trash heaped up in the streets (a la Naples, our latest trip) or have my son explain that the little Lego statue he's showing me is The Discus Thrower, I know that this play is not just childhood fancy. This is where he processes and integrates all of these new things he sees all of the time, things that used to be outside of his experience. Legano provides, for him, what my photography and my blog provide for me.

Have you heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child?" I think, for the child, it is the a village of their own creation, where they raise themself and grow up whole.

The prompt for 9 Muses Musing today is VILLAGE. Tomorrow is SWEETS. I hope you'll come join us!

14 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post, Kat! It makes me want to build my own Lego village!

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  2. Sounds like your son enjoys learning. Thank you for sharing this - I have happy childhood memories of lego myself.

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  3. We can learn so much from kids. We Big People take ourselves so seriously. Maybe instead of a 365 photo project, should be a 365 learn How To Play Day.I love it. TY Brandon!

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  4. Legano! How delightful! Isn't it great to see him process his experiences in such a visible way? I have an eight year old friend who is building a city in outer space in his room with legos. It's amazing!

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  5. What a great, creative child you have! It seems that life is so simple at that age and full of great possibilities!

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  6. So fabulous. Your son is obviously a chip off the block (you) - creative with a depth of intelligence that is heartening to see.

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  7. How wonderful that this village is an ongoing thing reflecting your family's life in Italy. Lego is such a great vehicle for imagination.

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  8. This so reminds me of the 'pretend' worlds my boys used to create out of legos. Love Legano!!!

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  9. Beautiful story about Legano! I used to play with Lego too and loved it.

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  10. I love that your son has built this spectacular place. Legano. How special. It looks intricate and full of detail : ) What a fun hobby for him!

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  11. What a creative young man! I love that he added Mom with a camera!! :)

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  12. Ha! Wonderful. I looooove legos and specifically the little lego people!

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  13. Oh, I miss these days, so very much!

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  14. I love Legano.. maybe he will be an architect one day.. Carla

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