Lydia's Red Rocket Ship

What do you do if your daughter asks Santa for a "real" rocket ship, like she sees each day on "Little Einsteins"? If you are the talented PJ Burchett, you buy $25 worth of Styrofoam, some PVC pipe, collect some assorted spear car parts and make your little girl's dreams come true! PJ has been working on the rocket ship for about 2 weeks. He wouldn't let me see it so I was just as overwhelmed as Lydia when I saw the finished product. PJ always does beautiful work in his job restoring and customizing cars, so I knew it would be good, but this thing is AMAZING!

He discovered a way to wrap the initial Styrofoam carved shape in aluminum foil secured with aluminum tape so that he could work the fiberglass directly on the shape, cutting out several tedious mold making steps and saving him a TON of time and materials expenses. Look close, do you see some products from the plumbing aisle of the hardware store? So creative!

Here is my favorite part, it DOES stuff! PJ filled the cockpit with toggle switches and buttons that turn on lights. He cut rounded pieces of wood for the base, so it rocks like a rocking chair....or I suppose like a rocket! Thankfully, he did not add any sounds (he knows how I feel about toys that make loud weird sounds!). It even has a cup holder! So smart, I would have NEVER thought of that, but all Lydia wants to do is sit in her rocket and watch Little Einsteins, so having a place for a cup is SO great. I want to cry this thing is so fantastic. PJ is so fantastic! Lydia is SO lucky, not just to have a "real" rocket, but to have a REAL GREAT daddy!

Video of the rocket in action has been placed on youtube.