Invention Tradition

Here's a mansion my brother and I built when we were kids. Back then, this was All-That and a bag of chips. It was before Legos got too carried away with specialty pieces, but you can see windows, flag pole, etc. that were pretty custom for the time (197o's). It was how we spent a lot of Saturday mornings, as I recall...

On Saturdays, my boys and I make up cool inventions. Here's a list of past ones:

• Pretty gun-makes anyone more attractive


• Kyle/Olivia cow invention--makes them into cows, makes cows for them


• Yes-in-ator--makes anyone more agreeable


• Robotic Toybox 3000--automatically picks up toys (not safe for children under 3)


• No helmet--reacts against yes-in-ator, generally negates everything


• Lightbulb that changes itself


• Duck shooter--great practice weapon with projected targets


• Costume maker--you think it up, it makes them all


• Auto-dog groomer--throw in the pooch and he comes out polished


• Age locker--stay eternally whatever age you are


• Time travel remote (like on Click)

It's a good exercise in creativity, and it's lots of fun. We discovered today that we have to start writing these down! (It was hard to even recall this list, and we've made up hundreds of things.)