Image by Hands off my tags! Michael Gaida from Pixabay
Now with his little mind working hard on the idea that houses and things like that have foundations under them, six-year-old Grayson Ludlow went back to the Ludlow family Lego bin and pulled out the rectangular platforms that many Lego things are built on.
“Oh,” he said. “I see. I see!”
Rarely was Grayson this loud and excited, so everyone in his household came to see.
“What – I wanna know!” five-year-old Lil' Robert said.
Lil' Robert was generally the more excitable of the two youngest Ludlow grandchildren, and he instinctively knew that if Grayson was excited, things were indeed exciting!
“This is what houses are built on – foundations!” Grayson said.
Then he ran outside, heading toward the Trent home.
“Hey – did y'all know there a big one of these under your home? Everything has Legos somewhere in it – I thought so!”
Mrs. Thalia Ludlow chuckled while her husband and grandfather to the whole lot, Capt. R.E. Ludlow, put his head in his hands.
“Oh, this is going to be fun – for you, Robert,” she said, and kissed him before turning around to go back to the kitchen.
“So, how are you going to be Ms. California until stuff like this comes up and then flip like this on me to a 'traditional woman' at a time like this?”
“Because I can and you can't get enough of it!”
“Woman, do you ever understand me … I'd deny it if I could, but I can't, so, let me catch up with these kids!”
By the time Capt. Ludlow caught up with his seven grandchildren, they and the three Trent little ones were already deep in their next plot, with Sgt. Vincent Trent standing watch with his head in his hand...
“So, I've got the legal parts covered for the permits and stuff, so, we're just going to solve all the housing problems now that we know how folks are building these buildings,” nine-year-old George Ludlow said.
“Imagine,” nine-year-old Milton said. “The only thing keeping us from building like the adults is just not knowing they were using the same stuff we are!”
“Ummmmm … maybe, but maybe not,” eleven-year-old Velma Trent said.
“I heard that foundations were built mostly with concrete, sometimes with steel, and sometimes using steel to reinforce the concrete,” eleven-year-old Eleanor said. “Back out in San Francisco where Grandma is from, they built the foundations of this big tower on this big set of steel pylons, but the thing was, they were 120 feet too short.”
“But see, if they had used Lego platforms, they would always be just the right height,” Grayson said.
“And on top of that, it's the 21st century – we gotta upgrade this thing!” George said.
“I'm really looking forward to building good homes for nice people and their pets too!” seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow said.
“Let me be the designer,” eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow said, “because what we are NOT GOING TO DO is have all these new houses out here mismatched and unfashionable.”
“It really is important that the neighborhoods people live in look like someone cared about how to build them,” ten-year-old Andrew Ludlow said. “I was reading about how if you take people who are struggling and move them into supportive housing with nice colors and trees and plants, they tend to get better and do better in life.”
“Which is why we gotta do this, now that we know!” George said. “It's too easy not to do it right!”
“Ain't it the truth,” eight-year-old Gracie said. “I just don't understand why people don't want to get it together!”
“Everybody isn't being raised like we are being raised, though,” Eleanor said. “When you are raised by people who care, it's easier to find a way.”
“A lot of people in the world must be missing out,” Amanda said, “but when we build nice houses for them, that will help them know somebody cares and it is OK to care about other people too!”
“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said.
“Wait until next week when we're big enough to do all the digging and driving the big Caterpillar thingies!” Lil' Robert said, “see, because there are a lot of houses we need to build and we have to get started because we have our houses and it's time everybody else gets theirs, see, because it's too hot out here to not have a house and air conditioning, and then--.”
“Guess he's going to be the company bigmouth for the new Ludlow and Trent construction company too,” Mrs. Melissa Trent said.
“Ain't it the truth,” Sgt. Trent said as he shook his head with a smile.