Innovative Toys

Growing up, we had the most wonderful, exciting toys and games you can imagine. And that IS the word, isn't it? Imagine, Imagination?

No one had heard of video games, kids didn't sit in front of TV's watching cartoons. They were only on early on Saturday mornings, and I don't recall spending much time in front of the black and white, 4 channel TV.

So what did we do?

When I was born we lived in a "double" on Rural Street. They're called "duplexes" now. We moved out to the "country" when I was four, but I can still recall a little bit about living there. Our version of a playground was sliding down our stairs on our butts.

Over and over.

I'm surprised we didn't end up with splinters that would have been hard to explain.

Video games? I suppose the closest we came to that was when we would sit in front of our neighbors oven and stare at the little window and the light inside.

Ok, I have never claimed we were the brightest bulbs on the street.  But I do remember sitting in front of an oven that looked like this and thinking it was funny letting our mouths drop open and utter, "uhhhhhhh".  I don't know how my parents resisted hitting us upside our heads to make us stop.

We had a tiny backyard that was bare of grass.  I suppose when you have four little rugrats running around, there would be no way you could manage to keep a little grass growing back there.  My brother Mike loved it since he could spend hours creating roads in the dirt for his little cars.

Our neighbors who shared the half of the double had only one son.  At the time it seemed like they were rich.  Ricky had every toy you can imagine.  Of course we weren't allowed to play with them.  Not sure I can blame them, who would want 4 rugrats destroying your kid's toys.

Since my siblings were 6, 5 and 4 years older than me, naturally there were some toys that I was too little for. 

To this day, I can still remember the most coveted thing my siblings received. They each got a package of what I referred to as "Dick Tracy Sparkledy Paints". 

Of course I was not allowed to touch them.  But OH how I wanted them.

For my 50th birthday, my sister bought me a "sparkledy" paint kit.  It wasn't Dick Tracy, but it'll do. 

I am saving it for some special time when I can share it with some other little girl.