Legos. They're kind of a big deal around here. Probably due in no small part to the fact that Daddy will gladly sit and play with them indefinitely.
I've come around to their charm, which is good since they've completely invaded my home. It's fun to see all of the creative things the boys make. Even John gets in on the action although he only knows how to make one thing, which is always a flat piece with some other piece on top and occasionally a minifigure: "a boat mommeeee! a boat! look at my boat! BOAT!"
We used to store them in a dresser organized by color but now that John is in the mix there really wasn't a prayer for that system to work anymore. When we moved I had Chris build dividers into the trundle part of John's big boy bed so now the front three sections are full of Legos and the back section holds shoes-to-be-grown-into and winter gear. Of course that solution only holds the loose Legos. We also have finished and in-process creations on pretty much every flat surface of the room. The big boys have also taken to hoarding all the *best* pieces in their own designated special spots to make sure no one else can use them even though they aren't actually currently being used..........which generally ends about as well as you would imagine.
The giant bin-o-legos has made clean up much easier, although clearly it's not foolproof since--children. Luckily, David jumped down from the top bunk this week only to realize he'd landed directly on his own tiny instrument of torture and I think we may have finally made a breakthrough on understanding why I make such a big deal about always clearing away the Lego minefield before bedtime. I suppose only time will tell if that particular lesson sticks.
Here's hoping....