Things you wanted for Christmas as a kid

[Skywagon]

Remember when…. For Christmas You hoped to get a toy gun, holster, and badge as a kid so you could play outside with your friends. I always wanted the Palladin belt derringer you just pushed your stomach out and the  spring would push it out and fire a cap

[TEWKS]

It must of been because of the cold and snow up here around Christmas time but I wanted, get this, “fake dirt” to use with the Tonka trucks I had. I didn’t know then, and I still don’t exactly know what the heck I was talking about.   Neither did Santa. 

[Hosstage]

Mom wasn't a big fan of guns, toy or real, those were not on the list, so we had to beat up a neighbor kid and take his. But she really did a great job getting us fun toys, including the Evel Knievel jumping motorcycle, which we promptly broke, of course.

[Stir]

Red Ryder BB Gun.  Yep, that one, at six years old.  I didn't put my eye out.

 

[TEWKS]

I realize it’s over but putting away some late toys for tots we received for next season, take a look at what was the two top gifts in the box. How funny is that. Born at the wrong time I guess! 
 

ps…you have to read my previous post for this to make sense.

[taylor1]

34 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

Born at the wrong time I guess! 

Pat , I don't think anyone would hold it against you if you took them home, and played with them for a few days  

[Paul De]

On 12/24/2021 at 11:19 AM, Skywagon said:

Remember when…. For Christmas You hoped to get a toy gun, holster, and badge as a kid so you could play outside with your friends. I always wanted the Palladin belt derringer you just pushed your stomach out and the  spring would push it out and fire a cap

Geez, that brought a flash back.  My oldest brother got that and I played with it too when he would let me. At the time I was such a skinny kid I really couldn't push my belly out enough to have it spring open. 

 

I think that was the year I got a Tonka Ford F150 pickup truck (all steel except the windows and wheels). It was a big toy truck about 1+ foot long.  When I was around 12, I found on the basement storage shelves and mounted an Estes rocket motor in the bed and turned it into a rocket truck.  That thing would go a good 300 feet or more in a flash.  Sadly the truck got wadded when I upped from a C to D thruster motor which turned it into a flying hunk of metal.  Glad no one got hurt!

[Hosstage]

Hmm, a boy breaking his toys, who saw that coming?

I think of all the models that got blown up, army men melted, and bicycles jumped into destruction, it's a wonder our parents kept getting is stuff to play with.

An embarrassing story from my youth:

When I was about 4 years old, I got a Tonka dump truck with hydraulic lift for the box, just the sweetest thing a kid could get. Release the catch, and smoothe action as the box slowly and deliberately lifted to dump payload, all on its own. But, evidently, I was being a little sh&t, and mom threatened to throw my brand new shiny truck off the deck if I didn't do what I was told.

C'mon mom, you wouldn't do that, don't make empty threats.

My mom was not one to mess with, she stood at the edge, holding it one last time, me not believing, and off it went.

What the hell mom!?! I raced downstairs to find my beloved busted up a bit, one window broken, but the horror, the ram was broken! Instead of gently lifting and dumping payload, it now was just spring loaded, as soon as the catch was released, the box flung up and launched payload halfway across the yard like a trebuchet. Devastating. The cool smoothe action was gone. My lesson learned. Until next time.

I'm still damaged from that little incident.

Not sure how mom made it thru 4 boys. Like our toys, we broke everything else too, she never had anything nice.

[Mike]

I really wanted a Johnny Seven One Man Army.

 

Never got it, so I joined the Air Force. 

[Hosstage]

Great toy, and I can see why you wanted one so badly, but your means to satisfy the itch seem a bit extreme.....

[TEWKS]

Don’t mess with a 60’s era mom! I muttered something under my breath one day to mine  (it was actually bad) and she heard me.  She chased me upstairs and smacked my ass like you wouldn’t believe. I never did that again! 

 

Speaking about trashing Tonka Trucks. My little brother had a short fuse and it was easy to get him going, so we did, a lot!   He soon got the nickname “Konka” (conquer) as in Konka the Tonka because he’d smash the shit out of them out in the dirt pile after we pissed him off. 

[Hosstage]

Nobody fights harder than brothers.

Unless someone else tries to pick on your brother. I can make my brother cry, but you can't make my brother cry, so now you must get hurt.

Merry Christmas!

[TEWKS]

^ That Be True! 

[Scott9999]

Lol, I suspect we all block out some of these memories, over embarrassment of what we once were, just kids.  

 

When I was a kid, my neighbor buddies and I hung out at a local field, previously a dump.  It had some cool places to hide, or build a "fort", and etc..  For a few seasons, it was our special place.  At times, we played "army".  Well, I was the oldest in our group, and the better off, younger kids, had some cool, realistic looking guns.  I didn't have ... much.  Well, I begged "Santa" for a replica, plastic M16.  My mom caved, and that's what I got for Christmas.  I don't recall if I was 9 years old, 12 years, old, whatever.  All I remember was dad's disgusted look and that, as I had the thing in my hands, I realized that I was too old for that toy.  In fact, the old neighborhood "gang" broke up after that, as the younger and older ones went to different schools, and participated in differently aged activities.  I think that toy sat untouched in my closet for years.  I guess it was my first lesson in life, in "being careful about what you wish for", and/or, "when keeping up with the Jones, make sure about what you really want out of life".

 

Of course, post military service, my late father would be unhappy with the somewhat extensive contents of my gun safe (which not-so-coincidentally, collectively get about as much action as that toy did 🤣🤣🤣).  Don't even MENTION that BMW RT in my garage, either (i.e. his best friend lost a son riding a street bike).

 

Maybe we don't grow up quite so much, after all. 😏   (Rebellious) boys and their toys ....  

[Scott9999]

3 hours ago, Hosstage said:

My mom was not one to mess with, she stood at the edge, holding it one last time, me not believing, and off it went.

What the hell mom!?! I raced downstairs to find my beloved busted up a bit, one window broken, but the horror, the ram was broken! Instead of gently lifting and dumping payload, it now was just spring loaded, as soon as the catch was released, the box flung up and launched payload halfway across the yard like a trebuchet. Devastating. The cool smoothe action was gone. My lesson learned. Until next time.

I'm still damaged from that little incident.

Kind of O.T., but your post ...:

 

This whole thread immediately reminded me of something I did to my then, 5 year old son (i.e. broke his prized BB gun, due to his misbehavior).  I realized what a sh$t I had been, and replaced it.  But, the deed was done, and I have always felt that our relationship took a left turn at that point.  He's now a dad (1 year old son), and we get along fine, but it's just a relationship fraught with continuing tension, no real trust.

 

There are things I regret in life, but none more than that.  (Tears dripping in my heart.)   That's not what a loving dad does to his son.  However, in my old age, I also realize, we were all imperfect parents.  Can't correct the past, only the Lord can forgive that, but we can go forward, perhaps better in the future.  Some folks have said that I was a great dad, but I never felt that I measured up, and maybe that's a good standard, too.

[Grouchy]

1 hour ago, Scott9999 said:

Kind of O.T., but your post ...:

 

This whole thread immediately reminded me of something I did to my then, 5 year old son (i.e. broke his prized BB gun, due to his misbehavior).  I realized what a sh$t I had been, and replaced it.  But, the deed was done, and I have always felt that our relationship took a left turn at that point.  He's now a dad (1 year old son), and we get along fine, but it's just a relationship fraught with continuing tension, no real trust.

 

There are things I regret in life, but none more than that.  (Tears dripping in my heart.)   That's not what a loving dad does to his son.  However, in my old age, I also realize, we were all imperfect parents.  Can't correct the past, only the Lord can forgive that, but we can go forward, perhaps better in the future.  Some folks have said that I was a great dad, but I never felt that I measured up, and maybe that's a good standard, too.

Man, if I added up all my regrets I would never look anyone in the eye again.  You are right that we are all imperfect parents. But we did some good things too and the proof of that is the good we see in our kids.  I've always been amazed that the things I thought scarred my son for life, he doesn't even remember.  But the things that impressed him (for good or ill) I don't really remember. 

Anyway, being a granddad gives us a second chance.  Plus we can send them home after a long day 😊

[Hosstage]

I don't blame my mom for busting up my Tonka, I know I had it coming, and it makes for a great story now! She may have felt worse about it than I did, but I can't be sure about that, she was pretty po'd at me. It also makes me wistful of the good old days of quality built toys, you'll find no ram system like that on any modern toy now.

At least she wasn't as mad at me as she was at my younger brother one time, when she told him to go F himself (he was 10?, she never ever used that word). We got scared and ran away, ditching him, even he knew he was a dead man.

Like I said, not sure how she survived 4 boys alone.

I miss that girl. Mom was one of a kind.

 

[waynerd]

A motorcycle, of course...well, mini bike.  My best friend in grade school had an empy lot next to his house, AND a Honda Trail 50.  Lots of fun on that thing.  I wanted one of those in the worst way - year after year.  My folks successfully resisted, but the damage was done.  When I was finally a "semi-independent" teenager, my older brother-in-law contributed to my deliquency, and enabled my long path of "irresponsibility".  He found me a great deal on a new, previous year Yamaha.  Of course, the bike was part of a dealer bankruptcy that included a bike he was planning to get.  I'm pretty sure his main motivation was to deflect the wrath he would incur from my sister when he also rolled up on his first bike, as well.

[Paul De]

Favorite was a 60's era Panasonic clock radio with a Digital (mechanical) display and an under pillow speaker. It was great because I shared a room with my next older brother and I could listen to what ever while I drifted off to sleep.  Like that present so much I still have to this day, it is in near perfect condition, keeps good time and will be at my work bench in my work in progress Rumpus room