I still love toys

Sometimes I think I should have worked on an industrial design degree so I could make toys, because I love toys.
I'm not one of those adults that buys toys for myself, like action figures and Barbies or dolls.
But I really love having an excuse to shop for Baby C. I like going to the toy store to find the right toys that she'll really like

Like Aurora, I am realizing my toy-dreams through my own child-- except for the portable hand held TV, Mom you were right about that, that's a bad idea.

So when I bought Baby C some My Little Ponies last year, I thought to myself

Were Ponies always this "sexy" looking?



This is the kind of My Little Pony I remember. Like Eeyore gets a makeover.

Anyway, somewhere along the line, test groups wanted a more glossy, foxy, Bratz-y pony, and that's what Baby C has now.
(Man, I hate Bratz.)

And I remembered today how much I loved these "Growing Up" figurines when I was little.
I don't know why I liked them so much, but I did, so I'm bidding on a few for Baby C, especially for her birthday coming up. By doing so, I learned that they are exclusively an 80's thing. Who knew? And they are made by the same company that produced Precious Moments** figurines and they don't make boy versions.


I went to Hallmark this morning to see if they had something comparable, but nope they didn't.
I hadn't been to a Hallmark in years, and they've really modernized the place. It's not yo' granny's card store anymore. Not a doe-eyed Precious Moment** in sight.

**Creepy Note about Precious Moments' creator, Sam Butcher:
Currently, Sam Butcher resides in The Philippines while his son, Jon, controls PMI and most of his artistic assets.

He resides in a resort in Kalibo, Aklan, called Sampaguita Gardens Resort, which, other than its Christmas-all-year-round theme, is also themed with Precious Moments. There is a chapel there as well full of Precious Moments children on the murals. His mansion in the resort is a popular tourist attraction, and he regularly goes to Jojo's Christmas Cottage, a store that sells all kinds of Precious Moments merchandise, to autograph purchased products by customers.

Sam is known to make appearances at the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage during the summer for the Precious Moments Family Reunion event. Unfortunately, because of his unstable health, fans are not able to verify his attendance prior to joining the event.