Friday, July 17, 2015

Some of Our Favorite Minions

Thought for the day:  The reason we grandparents get along so well with our grandchildren is we have so much in common. The kids are enjoying their first childhood, and we're enjoying our second. 


L to R: Jaiden, Devyn, Aaron, their cousin McKenzie, and Kymber

















As always, we had a super-duper time with our grandchildren this past weekend. Among other things, we share a common appreciation for the very best in sophisticated potty humor, general silliness, and... the Despicable Me movies. We especially love the minions. So, natch, we all piled into two cars on Saturday, and ventured out to see the Minions Movie. 

In addition to the five cuties in the picture, our group also included our son, daughter-in-law, and her thirteen-year-old sister. Oh, and Smarticus and me. To tell the truth, Smarticus and I were somewhat dubious about the wisdom of trying to see this movie the day after its release... and on a Saturday, yet. I had visions of what Saturday matinees looked like back in the fifties... you know, with hordes of rowdy kids making lots of rude noises, while throwing candy and popcorn at each other. (Wet root beer barrel candies reeeeeally stick well in hair... or (ahem) so I've heard...) But no. Our son was right, and we were wrong. The theater wasn't even all that crowded. And I must say, the kids who were there were very well behaved. So we really enjoyed ourselves. It's a super fun movie, and when I asked Aaron afterwards what his favorite part was, he said, "The whole movie!" So there ya have it. A two thumbs up from the Swiderski clan.

And now, while I continue in catch-up mode, how about a re-run?  The following post originally ran in October of 2012 under the title, Never Too Old to Play.

***********************

Thought for the day:  It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age.  [Margaret Mead]

We can never be young again, but doggone it, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy our second childhood. As many a psychiatrist has said, it's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to us.

Even the ol' pessimist Fredrich Nietzsche said, In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.

And Plato said, Life must be lived as play.

Jeez Louise, who are we to argue with those guys? I mean, they were two seriously smart dudes.

So play we must.

Let's investigate our capacity for fun, shall we? Do you have any toys left from your childhood? I only have a few.



It was pretty much the standard in our extended family to pass toys around. Whatever toys I received from my older cousins, I'd later pass on to the younger ones, so I was really surprised to come across this little china tea cup in my parents' house when we were cleaning it out after my father died. As far as I know, it's the only piece remaining from the tea set I played with as a little girl. I don't exactly play with it anymore, but it makes me smile every time I look at it.




This is the only original toy I've kept in my possession since childhood. My aunt made the pouch in about 1954 or so, and my ball and jacks have resided in it ever since. At one time, some of the jacks were brightly colored, others were shiny, and the ball actually bounced. (Now the ball kinda goes THUD.)






These little China dolls were sent to me in the late '50s by military friends who were stationed in Japan. The dolls sat on display  in my mother's china cabinet for years, and over time, the elastic bands holding the arms and legs gave up the ghost. About twenty-five years ago, my father replaced the bands, and my parents sent the dolls to me as a Christmas surprise.














Okay, second question: Since you've been an adult, have you ever bought a toy for yourself?



I did.

What can I say?

I fell in love with Alf.








Okay, here's another one for you. Have you ever bought a toy for your child or grandchild because you wanted to play with it? Boy, oh, boy, have I ever! I could hardly wait for my kids to be old enough to play Stratego, to build models, and to create magic with an erector set. Reading my favorite children's books to my kids and grandkids is even more enjoyable than it was when I read them for the first time as a child.

Does anybody still buy you toys?

Smarticus and I usually give each other fun little gadgets to play with, because we're both overgrown kids at heart. But my favorite... my absolute favorite toy he ever got me is this:

Can you believe it???? It's a genuine original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bubble Bomber!!! Woo HOO!

Every time I saw the commercial for this toy on TV, I went nuts for it. Kept telling my hubby how I wished our kids were younger so we could buy it for them. (Right.) And ta-DA, he gave it to me for my birthday! (Can that man take a hint, or what???)

It is the coolest thing ever! You put in soap solution and a little bit of cooking oil, which warms up, so when you release a bubble bomb, it's filled with smoke. The bubble hits the ground, goes POP, and out comes the smoke. It's probably been close to thirty years since he gave it to me, and I still love it. It is still the coolest toy ever. (One of these days, I suppose I should let the grandchildren play with it...)

                                                    Okay, one last one to show you.

Isn't he adorable? When you squeeze his belly, he wolf whistles, and says, "I go bananas over you."

                                              Your turn. Tell me about your toys.

A child who does not play is not a child, but the man who doesn't play has lost forever the child who lived in him and who he will miss terribly.  [Pablo Neruda]

[source: seniorark.com]

Oh yeah, I've got a really neat jump rope, too, and a couple hula hoops. Last time I jumped rope with some of the grandkids, I fell on my arse. I thought it was hysterical, but my son and husband were mortified. Said I couldn't play anymore.

Think that'll stop me from playing next time ...?


Oh, no, no, no. I'll just be more cautious.












                                    Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

                                                I will not play tug o' war.
                                                I'd rather play hug o' war.
                                               Where everyone hugs instead of tugs,
                                               Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug,
                                               Where everyone kisses and everyone grins,
                                               And everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.
                                                             [Shel Silverstein]

******************

One last thing. I thought you might like a simple summer recipe. I used to cook and cut up chicken breasts to make this salad, but this time, I picked up a rotisserie chicken on sale. Smarticus and I ate the wings and legs so it couldn't get away, and then I cut up the white meat. (Reserving some, of course, for our resident felines.)


To the cut-up chicken, add cooked pasta. Small shells, elbows, whatever. Add chopped celery, chopped onions, and halved grapes, both red and green, as well as canned mandarin oranges, mayo, and curry powder to taste. It's simple to make, and reeeeeeeally good. It's also tasty when made with shrimp instead of chicken. Heck, I'll bet it's even good without any meat at all...

(If you're interested in the actual recipe with actual measurements, let me know. I'm sure I must have the original recipe around here somewhere...)

                                      Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

56 comments:

  1. I am impressed that you still have your jacks. My sister tried to teach me how to play when I was little but I was not very good at it. However, I was amazed at the dexterity of my sister and her friends. I still have a toybox, in which I keep a few things from childhood and many toys we bought for our children. Sometimes I get into it when I need a few wind-up robots or little cars with friction engines --I do have grandchildren to play with and these treasures gain in value as their parents' got the same quality of fun out of them. It's good to see little hands operating these toys again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks to my daughter, I even have some new shiny jacks! :) But I'm still hanging onto the old ones. They're full of memories.

      I love that you have a toy box. (But I'm not surprised.) You're right; it IS good to see little hands playing with the old toys again.

      Delete
  2. My Inner Child is frequently the biggest and healthiest part of me. And almost always the happiest.
    One of the best toys I ever received was bath crayons. They were a Christmas gift one very hot year and I spent most of the day in the bath drawing shipwrecks and fish. Badly. But I had soooo much fun.
    I recently got given a Paddington Bear and he sits beside the bed and wishes me pleasant dreams.
    No children, so no grandchildren. We still play though - and I hope we always will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never heard of bath crayons before, but I'm sure I would have loved them, too, because I was a coloring fool. Every Christmas, I got a new coloring book or two, and a super-sized box of crayons. One year I got spiffy red plastic holders for the crayons, which were really neat. They made it possible to have the feeling of using a full-sized crayon, even when it was only a stub held inside of one of those plastic gizmos. Really cool.

      Nice to know Paddington Bear is watching over you. :)

      Delete
  3. Grandchildren are simply the best!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grandkids are great aren't they? A brilliant excuse to play with toys. We had jacks too but I think we called the game Fivestones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They sure are. But like Elephant's Child, I like to think I'd find some other excuse to play with toys, even if I didn't have grandchildren.

      It's good to hear from you. :)

      Delete
  5. Cute picture of the grandkids. I wish I had kept my good toys. I'm enraptured when I stumble on something that reminds me of childhood like View-Master or Etch A Sketch. Of course I have to play with them when I see them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I had kept some of my good... and more unusual... toys, too. And books. But I gave 'em all away.

      (There's no reason you can't buy yourself one of those toys the next time you see them...)

      Delete
  6. I loved to play jacks as a kid. Loved Lite-Bright. I was lucky having a sister 10 years younger than me - I could play with stuff with her. Now Ray and I are keen on water pistols around the pool. There are some great designs. Glad you had fun with the minions. Very nice! Have a great weekend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! I love that you guys are into water pistols around the pool. We used to play with all kinds of squirting toys when we were in the pool, too.(Which has since been filled in.) We got into hilarious "wars" with some of the funniest looking gizmos you ever saw.

      You have a super weekend, too.

      Delete
  7. Alas, hubs and I have no grandchildren yet, so I suppose we'll have to admit to the world that we really like the minions when we go see it by ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing wrong with that! We were planning to go see it by ourselves until our son suggested making a family outing of it. Wear your minions tee shirts proudly!

      Delete
  8. I'll wait until minions is on netflix, sitting in a theater just me, with parents and kids, bit weird lol

    Never bought a toy for myself yet. The bubble bomber is great. I have one, not in pristine shape though as it was played with a ton.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Who cares who else is in the theater with you? If you wanta go see it, go see it! (Might even take a date, if she's a super cool chick who appreciates the finer qualities of the minions...) Or not. As soon as the movie goes on sale, I'll buy a copy so we can watch it all over again here at home.

      Cool! You're the first other person I know who has a bubble bomber. That's gotta be one of the coolest toys ever!

      Delete
  9. The last toy I got was a Budsie (stuffed doll) of my fishducky logo. I have an Etch-a-Sketch downstairs--I have to go & see if it still works!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, how cute. That sounds like a pretty special doll.

      Happy weekend!

      Delete
  10. So want to see the Minions that I will try to gather up courage and go to a movie theater and see it.
    I have bought a few toys for me. What few I had from my childhood were burned in the fire.
    Just bought a small "Light Brite" for my Granddaughter. (uses batteries) for her to play with when she visits in a few weeks . I can't wait to play with it after she opens it ! MY TURN NOW ! please ?
    I love all thing bubble I "play" with the gud dugs.
    Your recipe sound terrific.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Go see the minions! Sitting in the movie theater is a very "cool" way to spend a couple hours. :)

      I'm sure your granddaughter would be happy to share the Lite Brite with you.

      That recipe IS terrific. Downright addictive.

      Cheers!

      Delete
  11. I must confess that I've never seen a minions movie and have no desire to do so. BUT, I'm glad that you had a delightful time with your sweet grandkiddies.
    I remember those old Saturday afternoon matinees (and the root beer barrel candy).

    Believe it or not, my mother had an Alf doll exactly like the one in the photo. It might still be around somewhere (if the movers didn't "lose" it).

    I've always been a child at heart. It's part of my damnation and my charm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good to know I'm not the only one who's "heard" of those sticky root beer candies. You might actually like the "Despicable Me" movies and the minions. Lots of good humor geared at adults in them. This latest movie had lots of music and references to the '60s.

      Very cool that your mother had an Alf doll, too. Mine stays in my office, where I can see it while I'm working at the desk.

      Being a child at heart is definitely more charming than damnable, cowboy... says another child at heart.

      Delete
  12. I don't have any of my old toys. But every year at Easter we'd have breakfast at my grandmother's and she'd put two stuffed bunnies on the table for me and my little sister (we were the youngest of six). It's a happy toy memory.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've got a lot of happy toy memories, too. :)

      Happy weekend!

      Delete
  13. I haven't seen the new Minions movie yet, but I really want to. I don't even have any grandchildren. :) Super cute photo of your grandchildren.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heck, you don't need grandchildren, or even children, for that matter. to watch the Minions movie. There's lots of stuff in it geared to adults, too.

      Delete
  14. Sadly, I don't have any toys from my childhood. I remember playing with a doll house that my grandmother had saved from her childhood. Boy, I'd give my eye teeth to have that now!

    I always had fun playing light bright with my kids. There's something very soothing about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, too bad you don't have that dollhouse. I'll bet it was really something. I had one, too, which I played with a lot, but it wasn't a very "nice" one. Painted metal with plastic furniture. (Good thing I had such a good imagination!)

      Our daughter played Lite Brite a little bit, but not much.

      Delete
  15. I still like legos. They're pretty fun :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most of the time, Legos are a lot of fun. When ya step on one in your bare feet in the middle of the night, not so much... :)

      Delete
  16. Hi Susan - happy memories .. I used to get splinters when I played jacks off a wooden floor. But I did enjoy playing. I was given a doll with all the clothes etc - which my grandmother won ... but I was beyond dolls at that stage ... I kept it for a longish time .. but eventually in the moves etc it went away.

    I found a board game at Canterbury Cathedral bookshop recently ... I'd been looking out for it and had never seen it ... it's a map game - a board of England and Wales with towns on the map ... little cars, directional cards and some dice ... and see who could round quickest. I think part of my love of geography came from this game ... we probably only played it for one season ... we were always outside, or away with grandparents ... still I'm glad I've found it again ...

    Delighted you had such a fun time with the kids ... and that you and Smarticus have so much fun together ... happy days .. cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi-ya, Hilary!

      I had quite a few dolls when I was a young girl. Most of them were hand-me-downs with some sort of "problem." Missing limbs, no hair, missing eyeballs, stained, whatever. No problem. I set up a doll hospital in our basement, and had tons of fun playing with them and "fixing" them. But my grandmother gave me a beautiful new doll once. Nana said she thought the doll looked like ME, which tickled me to pieces. The doll came in a trunk, along with clothes on little hangers and in pull-out drawers. I really wish I had kept that. Oh well. Hindsight is 20-20, as they say.

      That game sounds terrific. I was a real nut for board games as a kid. (Still am!) If I didn't have one I wanted... I'd make it. (Probably not very well, but we played it, anyway.) One of my favorites was a game called Top Scholar. I guess it was a sort of trivia game, but all the questions were based on history and geography. If I ever found that game anywhere, I'd probably buy it, too. (Even though some of the answers to those old questions haven't been correct for a lot of years. HA!)

      Cheers!

      Delete
  17. You cannot imagine how happy your post made me. As adults we lose our capacity and will to play somewhat. It is all those responsibilities and duties we have as grown-ups in this ever-serious society. So, grandchildren offer this easy way back to our childhood. That is something I am looking forward to, although not immediately. Maybe in fifteen to twenty years. Thanks, I really enjoyed reading your post.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad this post resonated with you. Grandchildren give us a brand new opportunity to appreciate the joys of play, but there's no hurry for you. You still have lots of years to enjoy watching your own children grow into amazing adults,

      Greetings back atcha.

      Delete
  18. When Spawn was much younger, I was more excited then him at Christmas when it came to the unwrapping of toys. I did buy him a 'Dancing Groot' from the film 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' recently...it's just that I've neglected to hand it over...or to tell him that I bought it for him. I'm still a big kid at heart and I'm often chastised by my own child for my lack of maturity. Whenever that happens, I just stick my tongue out and blow him a raspberry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe you should just admit that you bought that dancing Groot for yourself, eh? If Spawn behaves himself, you could let him touch it.:)

      Hey, at my age, I still stick out my tongue and blow raspberries. (We're not immature... we're FUN.)

      Delete
  19. I use my grandchildren to get into these movies. I love the kids movies of today as they are so clever and original. Our darn g-kids are getting older now and some might be embarresed to go with us so we might have to adopt some more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kids' movies really are super today, and not just for kids. Most of them have lines and jokes built in to appeal to us older "kids", too. So Sparticus and I have no problem going to the movies to see them, whether we have any grandchildren in tow or not.

      Delete
  20. I love those minions and I've watched them with my grandkids. I had Jacks when I was a kid although they weren't really popular in the UK. More popular were Snobs or Five Stones - similar idea but no little ball. I spent hours playing with them. Love the hug of war poem :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What's really neat about the minions is the writers and producer thought of them as an unimportant part of the first movie, but most people fell in love with them.

      I can't imagine playing a game comparable to jacks without the little ball.Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

      Delete
  21. I had jacks when I was a kid. And marbles. As an only child with cousins that are all 10+ years older than me, they weren't inherited or passed down, they were all mine. I still have a few toys on my desk. I have one of those stupid windup dancing robots. He brings me good, writerly luck... or so I tell myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I almost forgot about playing marbles. Many a hot summer day was spent kneeling around a big circle we'd drawn in the dirt so we could play marbles. I barely even remember how to play anymore.

      Your windup dancing robot is totally cool. :) (Whether he brings you luck or not.)

      Delete
  22. Susan, I don't have many toys left from when I was younger... I did until I had my second daughter and she loved to investigate them, color them and cut them up... oh well... she had fun... I was one of the parents who had to buy my children the fun toys I enjoyed so I could see them and play with them again... they enjoyed them too...

    I wish I lived closer to my grandchildren, I could do the same for them too xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tell ya a secret. I'll betcha MOST parents buy toys THEY liked as a child when shopping for their kids.

      I know what you mean. I wish our grandchildren lived a little closer to us, too.

      Delete
  23. Aww, your cuties are the most adorable minions ever.
    I have an irrational fear of dolls so at first glance the China dolls gave me a start LOL but then the story of your parents sending them so many years later is so awesome I got over my fright. What a wonderful gift to have!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I wish we could get all of our minions together at one time to take a picture, but I don't reckon that's too likely.

      Sorry the dolls scared you. (The only doll that scares the stuffing out of me is Chuckie. I will NOT watch those stupid movies!) But yeah, they're pretty precious to me. And very fragile.

      Delete
  24. I'm looking forward to being a grandfather (not in a hurry to be one yet, mind you). Then, I can spoil the bejesus out of the grandkids. When they inevitably get mental, I can turn them over to their parents and go home.
    A delicious bit of irony, that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've described the grandparent's bill of rights beautifully! Then again, I recall my husband working similarly with our own offspring, too. He'd horse around with them and get them all riled up... at bedtime. Then, when they were bouncing off the walls, he'd hand 'em to me and say I could put them to bed now. I reckon he was just "practicing" for grandparenthood...

      Delete
  25. While helping my mother clean out my grandfather's house after his recent death, I stumbled upon many, many objects that rekindled memories of my own childhood. And although my own children spent less time with their great-grandparents than I did, I was touched to see that they connected with certain items in that house that sparked special memories and claimed them for their own.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean about being touched by your kids connecting with some of those items. Every time we go to our daughter's place, and I see some of my mother's old favorite and somewhat bizarre books, I get a little choked up.

      Delete
  26. We still have to see the Minion movie. Sounds like it's a funny one. Yeah. I'm looking forward to my second childhood (or third, if parenting is a second.) You have to stay young at heart, even when your body is old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Minions movie is super! Your family will love it.

      Yeah, can't do much about the aging body, but by golly, we don't have to act old!

      Delete
  27. What a great post and a beautiful blog you have sweetie!
    I would like to invite you to check out mine and let me know what you think! :)

    Check out my last post: How to Forgive No Matter the Offense
    Diana Bryant (Life Coach)
    www.ManhattanImageandStyle.com – Blog
    www.DianaBryant.com – Web

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Diana. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving such a nice comment. Get ready! Here I am to return the favor...

      Delete