[Jayne Osborn]

You know the saying: "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."

I've bought myself a toy (Er... no, not an Ann Summers Rabbit - though it does buzz!)

I splashed out £2.50 the other day in a charity shop, on a Buzz Lightyear toy. There are many models, it turns out, but this one was top of the range in its day, with a gimbal-mounted head, so he knows the orientation of his body in relation to his head. If Buzz is turned upside down he says, "Hey, is this a regulation manoeuvre? Turn me OVER!"
He says (and does) lots of other fun stuff too.

But...Horror of horrors! I dropped poor old Buzz and decapitated him. One or two bits of the gadgetry didn't work anyway, but he's now had major surgery, thanks to my husband and his soldering iron, and is in even better shape than when I bought him.

Now I'm yearning for one of those big, really complex Transformer toys - a "Robot in Disguise". (They're just so clever.)

I'm only buying these things for when my grandchildren come around, or as inspiration for a poem, of course...
I'm surely not alone in this regard; who else is mature enough to admit to being a big kid at heart?

Jayne

[Ed Shacklee]

Jayne,

There are some great poems about toys -- here's one by Elizabeth Bishop.

Myself, I love 'em, especially the toys with moveable parts. I'd have tons around, but I keep giving them away. I also think mechanical penny banks are hilarious.

Ed

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

My friend's kid has a "zoo" he's made and a collection of plastic creatures his mom buys one at a time from Target. Despite my feelings of box stores and zoos I want these. We are not talking just tigers and elephants but emerald tree boas, three-toed sloths, and whale sharks. A handful of various bear species. A ring-tailed lemur!

[Cally Conan-Davies]

I love blowing bubbles and whistling through my fingers. I am very loud. And very frothy.

[Charlotte Innes]

The father of one of my students still plays with trains--I guess there are lot of them around, though.

Jayne, congrats on the toy, glad you got it mended!

Hmmm.... What do I do? I don't really have toys, but I play with my cats ALL the time--I mean really play, as in pretending I'm just another cat. I think they half-believe me sometimes... . And I re-read all the Narnia books a few years ago, and loved them. And.... I'm a poet! Don't we all play, really?

Charlotte

[Jayne Osborn]

Ed,
Thanks for those links. The poem was poignant. Old toys/new toys - I don't think we ever really grow out of them. And I'm glad to hear you love 'em as well.

Andrew,
Wow. It's great that someone's making those interesting creatures. I saw a beautifully crafted wooden Noah's ark recently, with lots of animals, but it was well over £100; I wanted that too!

Cally,
Heehee - you've gotta be the biggest kid I know! Don't ever grow up (please)!!

Charlotte,
Real live toys in your case!
Buzz is now fully operational; I'm just amazed at the technology. His 'giblets' remind me of Arnie in The Terminator! But what a bargain - only a couple of quid for such a complex plaything. (Lucky that my husband is technically minded enough to do the required 'surgery'.)

[John Whitworth]

My mad brother sent me a book of paper ships. I have actually assembled one of these, a Titanic like object with four funnels. I gather it will float in the bath, but one can go too far, don't you think?

Now who's going to give me a big box of Meccano. My birthday's in December, folks.

[Mike Lane]

Jayne,

Quite a while ago, a friend of one of my children, a boy, about 8 years old at the time, looked up at me and asked "Are you just a little kid that got big?"

I never forgot that. Internally, I'm about 18.

[Laura Heidy-Halberstein]

I still have my "Furbie" (remember those?) which I bought myself when I was a grown-up. And a Firefighter Barbie Doll, complete with helmet, axe and medical kit. (And high heeled boots - as if you can imagine those on a firefighter.)

Dan's ultimate birthday wish is a giant 200 pound box of Legos to keep in our own house instead of always giving them to the grandchildren.

We also both play childish I-Phone games alot more than is necessary - does that count?

[David Rosenthal]

Originally Posted by Mike Lane

...Internally, I'm about 18.

That reminded me of what my Granny used to say: "I feel like I'm 16, but I was in a horrible car accident."

David R.