My husband is an engineer and loves taking things apart and putting them back together. He does this with so many things, even things that I would rather he leave alone, like, say, my sewing machine. His mom tells stories of him being only 2 and 3 years old and completely dismantling the vacuum, the toaster, or her television. She believes he has genuine angels sitting on his shoulder, or he would have electrocuted himself many times over before he ever went to kindergarten! Having been married to him for quite some time now, and raising his children, I have to agree with her. I am amazed he is not only still alive but still has both arms, both legs, and all 10 digits. Anyway, our family loves puzzles, and we are always seeking out new, exciting, different, and usually not easy, puzzles of all types. Rainy days in Florida with a house full of kids and grandkids tend to lead to that! But this was something different. When this Iron Man 3D Crystal Puzzle arrived, I knew exactly who would be the most excited. A 3D puzzle, with translucent pieces that fit together to form a gleaming Iron Man figure? Intriguing, to say the least. My husband dove right in. What I didn't tell him is that the kids and I had worked on it for a few days before ever letting him know we had it so we could get a chance to enjoy it too, because just knowing him, I figured that once he got it put together, he would guard it, maybe even dip it in some sort of shellac or glue, and otherwise prevent it from ever coming apart again. (What can I say? He is just a big kid at heart!) Once we got it put together, we took it apart again and let him know we had a new puzzle for him to tackle. He jumped right in, even before he had dinner! The pieces are surprisingly intricate, and it took a good deal of focus and problem-solving to figure out how they connected... for me and the kids anyway. It didn't seem to take long for Mr. Engineer to get into it and figure it out. Though, I was pleased to see that even he had his moments of puzzlement, accompanied by some grumbling (good natured grumbling of some confusion)—even if it didn't last long and those moments were few and far between. It was only, maybe an hour and a half—before there was total satisfaction on his face. The satisfaction of him understanding how this puzzle works. How the pieces are put together and held together and how clever it was for someone to make it this way. When he finally completed it, the look on his face was priceless. The finished Iron Man is truly impressive. It's sleek and modern, with a captivating shimmer to it. It's now proudly displayed in his office at home... and yes, it has been dipped in puzzle glue to hold it all together, a testament to his young-at-heart, playful personality that I love so much. This puzzle offered a unique challenge, a refreshing change from traditional flat puzzles. It requires a different kind of spatial reasoning and problem-solving. The finished product is really unique. If I would have known for sure he would do it, and WHEN he was going to dip it in the puzzle glue, I would have probably added glitter of various colors to the appropriate places. The Iron Man figure is beautifully designed and looks fantastic on display. The pieces are well-made and fit together snugly, creating a sturdy and satisfying final product. We all enjoyed our time puzzling out this challenge, even the little ones who were just content to watch grandma or their aunts and uncles trying to figure it out...it was fun for the whole family to watch the figure take shape and we all admire the finished result.
