January 21, 2011

The Gift....That Kept On Giving

Some people are so hard to buy gifts for.  They either have everything, don't like anything, or they are 4 years old! 

Will got a gift for Christmas that was one of those gifts that just kept on giving!  Giving us a bad headache.  He got this Electric Motor Kit that you have to build a real battery powered electric motor.  You put the motor into the plastic boat (included) and watch it cruise.  This kit came with 33 pieces and a 16-page instruction booklet!  It also said for ages 8 and up.


Will broke our heads to put this thing together every day for a week after Christmas.  We finally gave in.  Hubby was going to attempt this for Will............It took him hours of work, lots of cursing, my help, and he was shocked multiple times.  He was sporting a big blister made by one of the times he was shocked by this electric motor.  After all this, it was put together.  We held our breaths and turned it on.......It did nothing.  (More Cursing!)

(This is the picture on the back of the box of the 33 pieces!)


Thank goodness Will was in the bath tub by this time.  (Hollering "Is it done yet!" He wanted to put it in the tub with him!!!!! Not going to happen!) 

Kenny finally called a friend of his who is an electrician to talk to him about it.  Around 11:00 pm his friend Gordon (the electrician) came over and looked at it.  He couldn't see why it wouldn't work.  He decided to take it home with him.  It was midnight by this time. 

The next day Kenny picked it up.  It was running like a top.  Apparently Kenny had placed one wire in the wrong direction.  It worked now though, and we waited to show Will!  He would be so thrilled!!!  When he came into the room he asked if it was fixed.  When we told him it was, but then explained that he couldn't just take a bath with it.  He was a little bummed.  Then  he asked if he could just have the plastic boat it sat in, and take a bath with that.  Of course we said yes. 

The built electric motor!


The plastic boat part now in the tub!


A few hours later he was as happy as could be, taking a bath with his new boat!  If we had only know that the plastic boat would make him happy we wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of making the motor work!!!  Well, it's done now.  It took two men in their 30s to do the kit made for an 8 year old, given to a 4 year old.  WOW!

2 comments:

  1. Wow that sounds like a headache, and a lot of frustration for everyone. Glad Will is enjoying his boat now!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Lord. What a pita! I do think its funny that it took two grown men to get it up and running. I hope you guys don't get too many more of those types of gifts. Yikes!

    ReplyDelete