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Toy assembling nightmares on Xmas Eve-was anybody else up until 3am like we were?

16 replies

MilaMae · 26/12/2008 22:11

After the last 2 Playmobil debacles of previous years(the hospital of a million pieces being one)I smugly got everything wrapped and down from the loft days before so we could get a good nights sleep. All we had left to do was assembly dd's(3) twin Graco dolls pushchair from ELC. DD has been on and on about it for months dp drove miles to get one weeks before Xmas as they were in short supply.

Anyhow dp gets it out Xmas Eve after tucking them all in(dd saying that she'd explode when she saw it).She's been planning for ages how she'd be pushing it down to grandma's Xmas morning.

2 minutes in dp goes quiet-apparantly one of the bolts is too big and may be a problem[shockl]!!!!!!!!!!Dp is normally pretty unflappable,he looked dare I say it-worried. Nightmare!!!!!!!

Basically he went through every tool in his toolbox trying to file down the bloody bolt.This is the same toolbox we've lugged about for 18 years,that I've cursed every time I stubbed my toe on,I'll never threaten to have it winched out again(it weighs a ton).

Dp then runs out of tools it's 2am and I wonder if we can run down to dad's to see what he's got(we're getting desperate at this point)Dp finally resorts to a stanley knifedesperately trying to hack bits off except he nearly hacks his finger off-blood everywhere. I'm pacing up and down the lounge panic stricken ordering him not to give up.

3am he finally strikes gold!!!!!!!!!!We collapse into bed.

Very,very happy dd on Xmas day,totally knackered mummy and daddy-again!!!!!!

OP posts:
hunnybun1981 · 26/12/2008 22:51

yes we were up to 1am putting the rose petal cottage together and various bloody play mobile stuff mind u all worth it in the end

notnowbernard · 26/12/2008 22:55

Blimey, MM, what a nightmare

Hope dd liked it!

kitbit · 26/12/2008 22:59

WHY didn't you post this mid-december BEFORE we decided to go for the playmobil castle?? hmm???????

Yep, 2 bottles of plonk-oh and about fifty mince pies later and we had a castle and an attack tower plus a handful of very pissed looking knights with their feathered helmets rammed on their heads any which way in a desperate bid to finish it before dawn. ds of course was almost lost for words when he saw it (sigh )

starbear · 26/12/2008 23:08

I've made a major mistake of saying lego to anyone that asked. Why did I do that?!!!!I meant the basic Lego for a 4 year old. No everyone buys the complicated stuff that takes me hours to put together. I have to have the kitchen table clear of everything then I get sandwich boxes out to separate little bits from strange bits and door etc. Then I have to figure out how I'm going to let DS join in with putting lego together. So basically I need A whole clear day. 1 huge box (Uncle brought) has gone in the loft I hope he doesn't ask for it until he is 10 years old. We also got the Playmobile Plane. I asked DH to help DS put it together (I thought it was a whole Toy when I brought it) Oh no! Then I thought it would take DH 1/2 hour and he could then lay the Christmas dinner table chat and pour me a drink OH! No you know the rest of the story. Basically no time to make the bread sauce and Crackers still in the box. Totally understand. What are we going to buy them next year that doesn't cause this aggro?

seringoutthosebellstonight · 26/12/2008 23:42

You assemble the Playmobil before giving it to them? Surely that's the best part, mine would kill me!

stinkymonkey · 26/12/2008 23:52

Why does everybody assemble stuff the night before? I bet your parents didn't when you were kids. Isn't wrestling it out of the box and putting it all together on Xmas day part of the fun? So what if your DC have to wait a bit - doesn't do them any harm.

kitbit · 26/12/2008 23:54

Only this one Bells, it had a million pieces and ds is more interested in the castle than the building of it, although we left certain bits for him to do. He likes making the smaller kits, and small lego kits too, but this would have taken him HOURS and wouldn't have been fun. We left him the finishing touches though.

nooka · 27/12/2008 00:08

We always do the Playmobil assembly on Christmas Day whilst we watch a family movie. dd's palace thingy did take a ridiculous amount of time, but she always enjoys helping. I can understand about the pushchair as your dd had plans for it - out of order to sell something that didn't actually fit together though!

starbear · 27/12/2008 09:59

We have the Playmobil Airplane. It keeps bits keep falling off while Ds plays with it. SHOULD WE SUPERGLUE THE BITS TOGETHER or would that be a big mistake. All points of view welcome. And best toy to keep boys playing without adult assistance???

MilaMae · 27/12/2008 16:46

We assembled the hospital last year as the dc were 4,4&3 and seemed too young to 'help',it was their main present too and I just knew they'd be dying to play with it immediately. The 3 of them are masters at badgering iykwim. When they get older oh yes they'll be doing the assembling themselves big time!!!

Kitbit made me laugh that was exactly the same scenario for us last year. If we'd known we needed a degree in engineering to assembly said hospital we wouldn't have drank soooo much wine.

Personally I wouldn't glue the plane,my lot can now click things back together themselves,however I do glue car aerials and wing mirrors as they're microscopic.

I still can't believe after our lesson truly learnt re assembling we were still up until 3am, I was sooo bloody organized for once !!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
saggyhairyarse · 27/12/2008 17:30

We had a bloody nightmare with a Mothercare trike on Xmas morning that took an hour to assemble. We also had a LEgo headache with the Anakin jet fighter. I have assembled it minus one peice as I could not get that bugger to fit no matter how I tried.

And breathe.

DoubleBluff · 27/12/2008 17:33

DH had to work Xmas day so i assembled a Ben 10 scooter, a wrestling ring and cage, an Indiana Jones Lego kit and installed an X box 360.
I needed a drink after all that!

Frizbe · 27/12/2008 17:36

hehehe I'm evil, I had poor dh assembling a disney fairytale castle on Xmas morning (got him back for the hot wheels thing I had to do several years previously)

starbear · 27/12/2008 17:37

saggy, What gets me is that there is no way the kids can play with truck boat etc..,afterwards as the thing falls apart.
Give me the good old days when it was just house tiles door and windows. DS is quite good at making something else that he can push around. Strange it always looks like a golf cart? Still pose the question superglue Yes or NO? As ds just shouts 'Mummy, I can't' every few mins.

MilaMae · 27/12/2008 17:56

Blimey Double Bluff I'm impressed.

Re Playmobil I still wouldn't glue,it re-sells very well not sure if it would glued,however I don't know how much Playmobil abuse your sanity can take

OP posts:
starbear · 27/12/2008 23:10

Good point MilaMae. I will leave it alone as I can't get a good and dirty debate over it ha ha

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