Best of...toys from my childhood

This post hurts my heart in the best possible way. My stomach is fluttering and my nose can recall just how all of these toys smelled--that familiar sweet plastic! I know exactly how they would feel if I were able to hold them, and I can remember all the happy memories they were part of. Well, mostly happy memories. Take for instance my Breyer horse Man O War. Christine, Monika, and I were in the backyard playing model horses (naturally). Monika got mad and chucked Man O War across the lawn. He landed, with his back leg sticking out of the lawn like some kind of horse lawn marker. His leg broke off in the dirt. I had to dig it out.

Breyer horses were a big deal for the Nicolai sisters, never mind that we had real horses (including a pony), we loved our Breyer horse collections. Another equally prominent toy from our youth was Playmobile. Spending a bit of all of our childhoods in Germany, our parents caught on to the brilliance that was/is Playmobile. Like Breyer horses, I can still spend five minutes as an adult in a toy store gawking at the Playmobile section. I have to overcome the urge to buy something, by reasoning with myself and realizing I am, after all, an adult. We still have all of our Playmobile, and with three of us, we amassed quite the collection.

Another horrible Monika story is that she used to tell me certain Playmobile toys that were mine were actually hers and because I was too young to remember being given my sheep and sheepdog set, I believed her and would politely ask her every time if I could play with her dog. Christine let me in on her tricks when I was about eight. I reclaimed the Playmobile that was rightfully mine.

If you were a child of the 90s, you no doubt remember Gak, Skip-its, Mouse Trap, and maybe Bouncin' Babies. Not too many people got on the Bouncin' Baby wagon. I got a Skip-It for my 9th birthday. It was a lot of fun until Monika decided to Skit-It in the pool. That's when the counter broke. I wonder if my mom still has my Skip-It...

I don't know if I saved the best for last but...BARBIES! WE'RE INTO BARBIE!!!!
One of Barbie's best friend's name was Midge. Was that ever a name? Has anyone ever met a "Midge" in their life? The sisters can remember that one Christmas morning when Monika unwrapped her giant (I'm sure it wasn't THAT big) Barbie Western Fun Motor Home.

I JUST WANT TO PLAY WITH THEM ALL RIGHT NOW. Good thing my mom saved everything, and I totally could make my dreams a reality. Would that be fun or would it be the most depressing thing ever? We'll find out! Also, go ahead and check out one of the Mowry twins in this gem of a commercial from 1990.

I came across a "Bath Time Fun Barbie" commercial and that Barbie was overrated. Way to go Matel.

Ok one more. I have Sun Runner, "Western Fun Barbie's" horse. The acting in this commercial is atrocious. And would you wear a tiara while riding a horse? Really? I mean REALLY!?!

  

Sorry Monika--you kind of come off sounding like a jerk in this post. I'm sure that you have equally crappy stories about me, but do you remember them?