Blast from the Past

I am not sure if past generations have experienced what I, as a father, am now experiencing. Let me explain.

My 4 year old son is coming of the age where his passion for toys has passed from small colorful noise making trinket's to larger, more mainstream, more expensive colorful noise making trinket's. More precisely, he has lept from kiddie toys, to toys that a man of my age has no quams about hopping down in the floor and playing with them, even if the child is not present. (Oh the fun, guilty pleasures of having children!) But the strange thing about the toys that are popular to children at this very moment, are the same toys that were popular say around 20 to 25 years ago. Transformers, Spiderman, Batman, GI Joe, Legos, Star Wars, they are all back for round two, possibly even three, or four.

Ethan has been fixated on Spiderman for about the past year. He loves him. I find him leaping and bounding around the living room singing his goofy little made up Spiderman song, thrusting his arms out with his tiny hands contorted into the webslingers signature "Heavy Metal web shooting sign." Making sounds to let you know that you've just been webbed. His latest interest though has been Star Wars. I being quite the Star Wars geek myself, will duly take pride in teaching my young Padawan Learner in the ways of the force, and let him in on the secret that albeit he's the bad guy, Darth Vader is the freakin' MAN! And so here is the point that I have been building up to.

I bought Ethan a small Lego set for his birthday. It consisted of an Emperial Speederbike and small gun turret coinciding with the opening scene from the Planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. (Oozing with Star Wars geekiness already, eh?) Anyway, curious about the other cool Star Wars stuff Lego has to offer, I took a stroll through their website and happened upon a small jewel that would have the eldest of Star Wars enthusiasts quick to whip out their wallets. A mini replica of the Death Star with small scene that go along with the movies. Yes, MOVIES! There is the Trash Compactor scene, complete with trash, Chewy trying to jam the walls with a long pipe, the compactor monster. (Last line must be said with slight eyebrow raise at the end to emphasize maximum coolness. The detention block scene, meeting table room, the Death Star Cannon, the throne room where the final battle with Luke, Vader, and the Emperor takes place, even a mini Darth Vader TIE Fighter! 24 figures from key characters to droids are included!

Yes, it will be mine!!!! ................Until I took a peek at the price tag on this Nostalgia Laden Pearl. $400. That's right! All you Naboo knowing fools who wish to live out their ultimate dream of running down the corridor to save Leia from the Detention Block need merely to shell out 400 big ones! I'd probably have better luck getting my wife to dress up as the Leia from the Jabba the Hut scene!

On second thought, I'm gonna go dig under the couch cushions!