The Jukebox Lives

Asa nor Addison have ever spent a lot of time playing with cars or trucks. You see, to them, playing must involve creating. They have always played with blocks, Lincoln Logs, magnets, Tinker Toys, sets of chutes for marbles, and of course, Legos. At one time I was worried about their lack of "pretend" style play. Trains sets seemed to help connect their need to build with role playing. But, as far as honest to goodness pretend play, I think Addison finds it illogical. (He will spend time playing with his army men, but it's more to set up tactical positions, not to actually play with them once they're set up). Asa enjoys playing pretend games on occasion, but without a brother to join him, he'd rather spend hours on end making various machines from Legos.

I no longer worry about the need to only play by creating. They get it honestly. They get it from their daddy. You see, Jeff cannot seem to go very long at all without working on something. A long long time ago, before Jeff and I could hear the pitter patter (or stomp, stomp, BAM) or little feet, Jeff spent quite some time working on robotics. He wrote random computer programs that did various things. Way back when, he wrote a jukebox program for our mp3's... and constructed a wooden jukebox to house it in. He bought a dilapidated old house and worked on it for stress relief. You get the picture.

Years ago, this jukebox I mentioned would occasionally make an appearance at an occasional family party. It was a fun way for party-goers to choose their own songs. Then, like many things, it found its way into the mass pile of junk we call the storage room. There it sat for the last five years or so. Recently, it has been reintroduced to the world... and has found a home in the boys' room. It's not the glamorous life it once knew, but now it plays Beatles tunes for two seven year old boys. I think it is probably pretty happy to fill that role. I bet it smiled more than I did when Asa woke up at 2am to go to the bathroom and cranked up "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Life Goes On" on his way back to bed.

The sight of Jeff's obsession-gone-by sitting in a room that is chock full of Asa and Addison's intricate projects provided a visual to how similar all of the men in my life truly are. To take it further, the jukebox is sitting in a room full of shelves and drawers and coat racks all constructed by their Granddaddy... in a room that was gutted and renovated by them both. Those Longino men are all do'ers. Each and every one of them are driven by the intense need to make and build and create. As a mom and a teacher, it is my job to foster this natural desire... and to hopefully help them develop a balance between this enthusiasm and everything else in life.

"In a couple of years they have built a home sweet home..."
We begin another chapter of our wild life as we work on renovating another old house and plan to build one from scratch. It is this drive to "do" that makes our little family tick. It is a curse at times, but it's what makes us who we are. As we prepare for the move, I have wondered aloud what sort of mental disorder we must share. Although not exactly the same, I also have a similar need to create... to work... to do. More importantly, the two of us seem to lack the ability to turn down a crazy idea.
But, "if you want some fun, take Ob-La-Di-Bla-Da."