Lazy afternoon play

With the new gourds we picked up for fall decorations, Bastian plays "guys" having them attack and defend themselves against the Lego Gamorrean guard on skeletal horseback. This goes on for at least an hour on the dining room table.

All the while, Aleks works out his big battle plan, finishing off his elaborate game with a game board. For the last week, he's been scouring the Lego website and catalogs, deciding which Exoforce robot will be assigned to which of his friends for the epic battle he's planning. Today, he flattens a box and draws out the board they will play on, even assigning it the title, "Lego Exoforce Shoot Smash."

Done drawing, he points out the different elements to me, including which guys have to be unlocked with gameplay (much like his Star Wars Lego video game).

First, he tried to write on the box using a fork, which took quite a lot of time. I recommended the markers. He had me write out the title, "Lego Exoforce Shoot Smash," for him, which he then copied on to the board.

In this corner is some elaborate point system I don't quite understand,

and what looks like a shark, but which I am assured is not one.