Balcony Testing

When Adam was in college, he and his frat brothers would do something called "roof testing". They basically would hurl an item off the roof and watch it break. And when it did, man roars and expletives could be heard from blocks away. Good times, right?

After three girls, I wasn't quite sure what I would be in for when Charlie came along. As a baby, he seemed to eat and poop a lot more, but otherwise, he was "normal". Then he started to crawl. Then walk. Then be curious. Then destroy. By the age of one, this kid broke more toys and dishes than I could count. When Charlie discovered the stairs, and finally our balcony, his interest in physics was born.

I have concluded that Charlie has inherited his father's thrill for roof testing. Except, in Charlie's case, it's balcony testing. (Lord help us all when he gets to college!) He will throw anything he can get his hands on over the balcony. If it doesn't break, he will find another object until his appetite for shattering is fulfilled. He will then say, in the most innocent voice, "Oh, no! It broke!"

Yesterday, Charlie got his kicks from Leah's most prized possession: a teddy bear riding a unicorn through the clouds and stars music box (take a moment to absorb that mental picture). After a stern punishment, I had to put my thinking cap on. Do I hide it and pretend I didn't know where it was? Do tell her the truth? Do I try to find a new one? Do I glue it back together?

As Adam was leaving to go back to work from lunch, he asked, "You aren't going to try and glue that back together, are you?" "No, no. Of course not." I decided to go with option #4: glue it back together.

This is what I had to work with.

Because Leah got this gem at a thrift shop, finding another would be difficult. I was able to locate a picture of a very similar music box so I used that as my guide. I did decide to tell Leah the truth. She cried but was very hopeful that I could put it back together (at least one of us was!). After all, three key components survived the fall: the teddy bear, the unicorn head and the music box mechanics. Several hours later, this is what I got completed:

World's Hardest Puzzle

What the hell was I thinking? This was the worst puzzle ever! Maybe drinking will help. (The unicorn even shared.)

The more I look at this music box, the more frightened I become.

After taking a break to sleep for a bit, I was back at it today. Not too bad . . . from this side. As for the other side, something seems to be missing.

It's now noon, almost 24 hours since I began my quest. I have realized a) how important all those little shards of porcelain are, and b) I don't have the time or patience or skill for this crap. I'm calling this job done . . . for now anyway. Thankfully, I found one on ebay. It even had a Buy It Now option, so no need to battle it out with some other desperate mother!