January 7th

Primary Colours!
My eldest Daniel has an amazing lego collection; pirate ships, adventures and cowboys to name a few. This duplo set - Clown Parade - his younger sister, got for Christmas one year so she could practice before graduating to the smaller pieces LOL. My granddaughter loves playing with it when she visits. My brother and I had a small collection of lego in England when we were little, I mostly remember windows and roof tiles.

Last year when they came for a two day visit, while my granddaughter slept, we all spent ages sorting the lego pieces into the different colours and managed to build a few sets. Unfortunately when they left there was no room in the car, so they are still in my workshed. Next time I go to Auckland I will try and fit some of the lego in.

January 6th

Bananas in Pyjamas

Living in New Zealand we get children's television programmes from all over the world. Bananas in Pyjamas, from Australia, was a huge hit with little kiwi children. More details here.

My daughter had moved to her fathers house a few years before we moved down here taking most of her toys with her, so I haven't got many of her toys to reminisce over. There are some that her younger brother inherited, such as this puzzle in a travel case - with six different pictures to put together. It is missing a cube which is why I haven't given it away. I am sure that within days of giving it away the missing piece will turn up!

January 5th

 

Big Bird and Ernie

I can't find Bert, poor Ernie...

My eldest son, Daniel had these small toys when he was approx 3 years old. Sesame Street was on TV in New Zealand and very popular - Bert and Ernie were his favourites. When he was about 6 or 7, Finn had a Sesame Street duvet cover and pillow case, Daniels daughter Jade (3 in June) now has them.

January 4th

This was my grandmothers bear.

She lived on her for many years. One Christmas (late 80's) I got him as a present to keep her company as he responded to noise, in his own language. She seemed to be happy living with him.

She had always had a small collection of toys. I remember a lovely home made eeyore donkey, a basil brush style fox and a small hedgehog. One year (1993, there is a label on her foot) my father gave her a large teddy bear. When she died aged 83, my mother ended up with the small hedgehog and large teddy bear. I looked after AG Bear, but as our house was too noisy for him to join in, I removed his talk box he has been silent for a while now.

January 3rd

There was a time when we had dinosaurs everywhere!

My eldest son Daniel was besotted with dinosaurs from a young age. He loved collecting them; especially the realistic Jurassic Park models, he even had some moving ones.

This seems to be the only dinosaur left along with a small collection of much read dinosaur books.

January 2nd

Some old toys today - jigsaws are not easy to make look good.
The top jigsaw is one of my mothers which she had long before I was born. The others are from the 1970's. I don't know how many times I have made them as a child and later with my childrens help.

I haven't done a jigsaw for a couple of years now, I would like to do them this year. I am hoping to get to visit some of the places in England and Ireland as my mother and I are starting to plan a trip to UK for the middle of the year. I haven't been back to England since we left when I was five years old.

January 1st

After thinking about toys for most of the afternoon, I ended up starting the challenge with a photo of a new toy.

My youngest son Finnian (Oops, I owe Lizzy big apologies as she gave Dan the sheep), gave his step-dad Dan a pooping sheep for Christmas. If you press down on its head a coke flavoured jelly bean pops out of a hole under his tail. I think this explains the look on his face.