WARNING: You might think that I'm crazy!Recently, I read an article on a blog called Geek Dad. I'm not sure how I arrived there but the title "The 5 Best Toys of All Time" is probably for something. The first item of the list totally tugged at my heartstrings. A stick.
I remember my beloved stick. Made out the wood, it was about 3' tall and had a "pointy" extremity. I'm pretty sure that I found it in the forest next to my mom's house but it is not clear. I just know for sure that it came with me on numerous adventures...especially during spring when the melting snow would bring the coolest thing ever for a kiddo who wanted to become a veterinarian: a dead semi frozen deer in a semi level of decomposition!
First of all, I have to tell you that my mom's house is situated on a natural deer path. Snowstorm + car + deer in the headlights + badly injured forest critter + more snowstorm...you get the picture. Second of all, my mom really didn't like the idea of her daughter playing with a dead deer and a stick in the backyard ;)
Anyway, back to the stick. If I think about it, I have a hell lot of childhood memories that involves my wooden stick (other then pocking various organs in a deer!). Going on walks in the forest to dig up acorns, making frogs jump away from me (I don't really like frogs), looking for very old pieces of broken dishes in the stream (many many many moons ago, that stream was used as a garbage disposal...you know, that was life in the country in my part of the world), playing "warrior princess" type games or "golf" with snow balls, etc.
Now living in the city, I know that Alice won't have the same stick opportunities than me. And god forbid her to poke a dead cat on the side walk...this is totally different and extremely gross according to my standards! However, I will give her a stick that we will bring at the park, at the country house and, obviously, at my mom's house on a warm spring day!
As a kid, did you have a favorite fucked up toy that you could not find in a Toy's R Us aisle?
And for your information, the 5 toys are a Stick, a Box, a String, a Cardboard Tube and Dirt. Pretty cool don't you think?
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I have a friend in Sweden that is going through a difficult time so I made a mini felt crown of candles for Alice. I hope that my very young St.Lucia will brighten her day!
I think that we will also "celebrate" St. Lucia (December 13th) / Winter Solstice with Alice...yes, we are that kind of parents ;)
God Jul!
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ali: I love doing (I'm still doing it 95% of the time) the challenge but taking the pictures was really not my cup of tea! Sorry :(
9 comments:
What a cute little crown!
I have similar memories from my childhood. We had several deer-infested wooded acres in our backyard. My siblings and I would spend hours in that woods "tracking" deer hoofprints in the snow and building "forts" out of dead branches and leaves.
I totally agree with the top 5 toys...great post!
Yes!
We had a play house that my dad made out of a GIGANTIC cardboard box he took home from work. We kept it in the garage and would haul it out into the backyard and make helicopter soup. He cut out a door that opened and closed and two windows. I think it might have even had a chimney. SO awesome, I was just thinking about it earlier today actually.
I was also pretty into sticks also, though I never had one particular stick.
The stick.......I am not sure I recall anything like it but I did spend my childhood roaming around the streets near my house and in the field behind it - building dens etc. I do know that my favourite things as a small child (probably about Alice's age onwards a while) were my mum's saucepans, lids, clothes pegs and wooden spoons - oh and I am sure large cardboard boxes!!!
If it had to be a real toy it would of course be Lego.
I love, love, LOVE your St Lucia crown! I'm not Scandinavian, but my voracious appetite for peppakakor suggests I should've been. You have totally inspired me to try this!
Fucked up toy: when I was a kid I had a pet rock, called Rocky, who was used for noise making, building, sentry duty, throwing... anything really. He was great.
I love that story and the little felt crown! thank you for the idea, I'm going to run home tonight to make one for my little Lucia.
I had a weird habit of keeping my baby teeth.
I think I even mailed to a friend who moved away.
Not quite a toy, but ridiculous kid behavior anyway.
You're effing hilarious!! Your story about poking a semi-decomposing deer with a stick just made me crack up after a crappy work day. I have a 5-month-old daughter and often read your blog for inspiration. Love your posts on Simplicity Parenting!
newspapers!!! my mother could make anything, and I really do mean ANYTHING out of newspapers.....and some duct tape. Gooogle and you'll see there are whole blogs devoted to newspaper toy crafting. Favorite: pirate sword
alice in
the
St. Lucia
is my favorite
yet.
i forgot
about that
holiday this year.
hope to celebrate
it in the future
with the little.
:)
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