I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Million Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.
While my eight-year-old son Augustine was a good sport about all the JFK lounge visits the first day, the highlight of his day was the LEGO store, not that we took any souvenirs with us…
The LEGO Store AT JFK T4 Is Far More Interesting Than Any Lounge To My Son…
Augustine loves LEGOs and I am happy about that, because I loved LEGOs too when I was 8 years old. In fact, I kept them all and Augustine plays with them today…it makes me smile to see him having so much fun enacting pretend battles between my Pirates and Imperial Guards.
After clearing security at JFK T4, we walked by a LEGO store, which really excited Augustine…it was closed, but I promised him we could come back later.
Augustine spent the morning asking when we were going to the LEGO shop. Finally, our first stop after the Virgin Lounge closed at 1:30 pm was downstairs and down the hall to check out the LEGOs.
Augustine was on cloud nine and spent the next 30 minutes (and it was not a very big store!) browsing and playing. I was quite happy to oblige…he was a good sport all morning in the lounge.
And yes, Augustine made clear his Christmas wish…
Ugh.
We are trying to teach our children not to value material objects, but I was a kid too once and I remember how much I looked forward to my Christmas gifts…it’s part of growing up. While I certainly was not going to haul that massive box on our trip around the world (Augustine certainly understood this too), we’ll see if Amazon Prime has any Cyber Monday sales…
I look at the retail industry, especially in airports, and wonder how it survives. But sometimes it is far less about on-the-spot purchases and far more about brand awareness and in this case, making dad aware of what tops the wishlist.
On a few long haul trips with my kids we’ve bought Lego and built it in the lounge. Or we take a ziplock bag of Lego for the trip and the kids open it up at the hotel or the lounge. Another great way to stay engaged non screens and to fight jet lag!
Glad you’re getting some one on one time. My 11yo and I are flying to Japan for a week tomorrow. 40k American miles for Qantas biz syd to Tokyo. Not bad at all.
Don’t forget the giant pandas in Wakayama , Japan . Always Worth a special trip .
“Adventureland” in Wakayama … best pandas I’ve ever met and conversed with .
You’ve got a lot of travel this week, I’ve also found bringing along a small lego set gives kids something to do, especially in interstitial moments. It’s a small present for you, not your awesome traveling kid! Plus, you haven’t lived until you try to dig out a small lego piece from an airplane seat. As for the big one at Christmas – good luck!
I was helping to build a stormtrooper on a Cathay flight once and lost pieces opening a bag. Had to scramble into all the crevices of the seat to retrieve pieces. Disgusting! Haha
Next time just use the force!
The plural of Lego is Lego.
Apart from that, awesome piece!
The pleural of LEGO pieces is LEGOs .
The pleural of CHESS pieces is CHESSes .
The pleural of Alert is Many-Faceted .
LEGO itself prefers plural of LEGO pieces to be LEGO bricks 🙂
The singular of LUKAS is LUKA .
Ha!
The National Geographic 3D puzzles are architectural fun for kids and adults. Can recommend.
“I look at the retail industry, especially in airports, and wonder how it survives.” Most of those stores are there for impulsive buyers (people that need a last minute gift), people that still have the feeling that because they are traveling they can spend that money on something they don’t need or mostly for showing products so people like you mentioned can buy later at some other replace. If I have time I always browse retail stores at airports because sometimes I find something I didn’t;t even know it existed since I lever go to shopping malls and buy all my needs online. Thus, brands can have samples of their products at those stores and buyers can buy them somewhere else later.
@Santastico …
Don’t forget the overweight people who buy large boxes of chocolates to gorge on the aircraft .
In London I load up on literate newspapers and magazines , and a bottle of booze to drink on the aircraft .
We passed the Lego store in ATL last week and I wondered about the parents/adults that lug a huge set home 🙂
I love the Lego Knight’s castle – reminiscent of my childhood
My grandson already put Notre Dame at the top of his list! Matthew I think you live in LA. Did you see the incredible Lego exhibit at the Natural History Museum about 4 years ago. All done by an adult!
I hope, for Augustine’s amazement, is that “Santa” doesn’t disappoint this year. We Swedes celebrate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is actually low key. We might go visit friends or Aunts and Uncles who couldn’t make it to the Christmas Eve festivities or might just be relaxing at home from the night before.