Dec 302009
 

I’m impressed. Chooch has had his jack in the box for nearly a week and is still playing with it. Then he gets mad when our cat Speck (see also: Nicotina, Breakfast Nook) ignores the anticipating arrival of the sock monkey. Meanwhile, I’m clutching my heart and trying to shake off the numbness in my left arm.

jackinthebox

 

mrmen

Remember Mr. Men? It’s good to see something from my childhood making a comeback. I noticed awhile back that Target had some Mr. Men t-shirts in the kids department so I snagged a Mr. Grumpy for Chooch. And Bill and Jessi bought him a Mr. Noisy book when they first came to visit us last year. Mr. Grumpy, Mr. Noisy – both very apropos. I remember having a bunch of Mr. Men activity books that kept me mostly quiet in the backseat of the car when I was a wee lass.

So when Chooch came across these little miniatures in Target’s toy aisle and expressed interest, I was excited. Because now we can collect them together! The pack rat in me loves a good collection. I’m currently collecting these limited edition Penguins medallions. There’s a new one available each day, and they make it sound like you HAVE TO GET IT THAT DAY or you’re fucked for life. Of course, I know this isn’t true, but I’ve bestowed this very gallant responsibility onto my mother, who has been having panic attacks because I’m so high strung about it. She brought a new load over last week and I realized that five out of six were the same player. “These are all Dupuis,” I said, as I slid them back across the table. Have you ever actually seen the color drain from someone’s face before? I have. It’s fun to watch. My mom then drove around in a snow storm trying to exchange them for the ones I still needed. Collecting shit is awesome.

frogs

Chip and Dip! OMG it’s Chip and Dip! Chooch thinks they’re his but they’re really mine and I will love them and squeeze them and hug them and kiss them. They make me really want to adopt another Pac Man frog though. (RIP Hubert and Gustav.) When I was a senior in high school, I would sometimes take Hubert to school with me in his little pink-topped terrarium. I used to carry this large black and grey plaid pouch with me, and it was easily concealed. Everyone used to call that pouch my Barney Bag. I had so many toys crammed in there, travel games, Floam, candy frogs apparently. Study halls were awesome that year. Fuck, that was a great bag.

I also had a White Dumpy tree frog named Louie. I remember bringing him to school once and having him climb up the wall during homeroom. Then the teacher, Mrs. Hanlon, came in the room, glanced at the frog, and with hilarious nonchalance said, “Erin, put your frog away.”

The only thing I didn’t like about having frogs as pets was the whole cricket-as-food thing. Stumbling across a cricket outside in the summer, it’s like, “Oh, look. A cricket. Cool.” But buying them in air-filled bags at the pet store and storing them in a coffee can, it’s like, “OMFG these things are nasty motherfuckers.” And during the night, I’d be laying in bed and hear them scratching the sides of the canister as they formed a disgusting insect pyramid, trying to reach the top.

I am so repulsed right now.

Thank God Chip and Dip only eat pellets.

  One Response to “TOYS”

  1. OMG! The Misters!! Who didn’t love those?? *gets gift ideas for Sadie*

    The frogs eat pellets? What sort?

Say it don't spray it.

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