LEGOhaus: Complete!

The LEGOhaus is done! But not without its challenges... First off, the software program with the design (and step-by-step assembly instructions) decided to stop working this weekend (this is analogous to Frank Lloyd Wright running off to Europe with your wife AND your construction documents). At first I thought it was because the software was incompatible with a recent operating system upgrade I made, but based on a European LEGOfans listserv (yes, there is a rabid online culture of [likely unmarried...] adult dudes dedicated to building stuff with LEGOs), it was a LEGOserver issue. After disconnecting from the interwebs and restarting the software, I was back in business!

What I learned during the construction process:

• Don't, in your LEGO-frenzied excitement and zeal to be green, recycle the shipping paperwork. I swear (in fact, I know) that they didn't send me everything ("I know" because I ordered a bat, and I do not have a bat. The rat, however, arrived safely.). I received parts I didn't order and got shortchanged on the windows (folks who have actually built houses say this also happens in real life, so perhaps this is good psychological practice).
• Construction skills deteriorate with numbers of beers imbibed.
• It's difficult to separate small LEGO pieces from each each other when they are plates (plates are super thin, one third LEGO brick height).
• It is not advisable to separate LEGOs with a sharp knife.
• It is really not advisable to separate LEGOs with a sharp knife after drinking (too many) beers.
• Loose LEGOs need to be kept away from felines.
• It's good to have (unmarried) friends with LEGOs, friends with kids with LEGOs, or friends with kids that used to play with LEGOs. I really needed those extra pieces! Note: It is bad mojo to steal LEGOs from four and five-year olds. 
• It doesn't take too long to put a model together. It only took me a few hours: A couple last night and about an hour or so this morning (you can see the quality-of-light change in the photos below for the switch over).

A friend noted that we are now committed to the design of the house since it is memorialized in small bits of Scandinavian plastic. I believe that to be true, yes I do...

The architects don't know we've done this. After hitting the LEGOstore for more windows this week, we'll surprise them with it. Hope they like it!

"Norwegian roof rats!"

"Honey, I'm home!  And it's been a bad, bad (bad) day!"