tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post852754419510067684..comments2023-11-13T02:00:52.653+11:00Comments on life's free treats: Things that are Sent To Try Us...meggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00061112627819270427noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-8300090553121908692007-09-08T06:04:00.000+10:002007-09-08T06:04:00.000+10:00The CCTPPO ! Wow! That's what's been going on arou...The CCTPPO ! Wow! That's what's been going on around here this week. They found me and have been lavishing their unwanted attentions on me. I wish they'd go target somebody else....mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03797484583400519909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-48200623070857339932007-09-07T20:44:00.000+10:002007-09-07T20:44:00.000+10:00Your 'toy from hell' reminds me of one that often ...Your 'toy from hell' reminds me of one that often surfaced at home many years ago. It was a little blue elephant (or was it a monkey?) who was only about 15cm high and played some very tinny drums at a frenetic pace.<BR/><BR/>But it wasn't us adult children who loved it, nor even our own children. It was my mother! She won it on a carnival stall at the beach when she was about 55 years old, and she loved to bring it out at the most unexpected moments and 'surprise' everyone. She loved the elephant drummer, and we loved her delight in it.Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10901064145483995261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-44394265583317769742007-09-07T11:25:00.000+10:002007-09-07T11:25:00.000+10:00The good old noisy toy hey?They are worse when the...The good old noisy toy hey?<BR/><BR/>They are worse when the batteries are almost flat but not quite, and the mechanism is broken, so it goes off in the middle of the night, singing some painfully distorted slow version of a rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. And you can't turn it off. And the batteries are determined to remain at almost flat, but not totally flat forever.<BR/><BR/>This particularly delightful toy came as a christmas present from the santa at the childcare christmas party. It is probably still singing away at the tip somewhere.craftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14396831672463509735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-9197319302695679562007-09-07T09:50:00.000+10:002007-09-07T09:50:00.000+10:00Toys like that swiftly get "lost" in our house. Al...Toys like that swiftly get "lost" in our house. Although I'm not averse to purchasing them for the children of thoughtful people who have given them to my girls in the past!<BR/><BR/>(And the givers of toys with 243 pieces also go onto my revenge purchasing list.)Fairlie - www.feetonforeignlands.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00145612102935177016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-10398331263475272122007-09-07T07:40:00.000+10:002007-09-07T07:40:00.000+10:00I swear, Meggie -- how do you remember all these w...I swear, Meggie -- how do you remember all these wonderful stories! CCPPO cracked me up and I loved that you and SG play cabbage face. A memory he'll treasure when he's your age!Thimbleannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03650582809426872051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-26450084783914890822007-09-07T06:31:00.000+10:002007-09-07T06:31:00.000+10:00Ah you make me laugh! I remember those toys, the...Ah you make me laugh! <BR/><BR/>I remember those toys, the noisy ones that other people gave the kids! These days I look around at my nice quiet empty nest and think....dammit! I'm going to have to baby proof again! Soon! :)Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12561892583686450813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-52615501343532934842007-09-07T03:01:00.000+10:002007-09-07T03:01:00.000+10:00Ahhhh meggie, you're such a good Grandmother..but ...Ahhhh meggie, you're such a good Grandmother..but you probably should try the ear plugs as those toys may be at the root of parental and grandparental deafness..<BR/>Love your WIP. Blue morning-glories are a favorite of mine.Linda G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10363689622473649154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-76688055605724779292007-09-07T03:00:00.000+10:002007-09-07T03:00:00.000+10:00Your tale of the Toy from Hell made me laugh. Ther...Your tale of the Toy from Hell made me laugh. There are certain toys that seem calculated to drive one insane, and unfortunately they're the often same toys that children adore and get fixated on. My father used to swear up and down that if I ever had a child he'd get it a drum, but so far he hasn't delivered on that promise/threat.<BR/><BR/>Also loved your story about the geography teacher with the "face the colour of raw meat". There are some truly inspired teachers out there and there are some ghastly ones. As an adult not under the power of the latter, I'd like to interview a few of them/get them on an analyst's couch: "How did you come to the profession of teaching?" "Do you like children?" "Have you ever thought of taking up dentistry instead?"<BR/><BR/>Good luck on the WIP - can't wait to see what you have in mind for it.Tanya Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15919250829858831002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-82994049525247969962007-09-07T02:48:00.000+10:002007-09-07T02:48:00.000+10:00As for daysgoby's comment about cotton wool - you ...As for daysgoby's comment about cotton wool - you could just use it as earplugs for yourself to preserve your sanity :o)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08352283065863856112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-49522025181291729912007-09-07T02:47:00.000+10:002007-09-07T02:47:00.000+10:00Meggie - didn't you realise that toys like that ha...Meggie - didn't you realise that toys like that have been put on this earth for one thing only..... to be bought by existing and more experienced parents for the children of 'friends' who became parents more recently but had always turned up their nose at the giver's children's behaviour stating categorically and snootily that'my child will never smear marmite sandwiches up my curtains' with the sole purpose of getting their own back!!!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08352283065863856112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-61539304935356713192007-09-07T01:58:00.000+10:002007-09-07T01:58:00.000+10:00A thin slip of wool or cotton (or cotton balls, if...A thin slip of wool or cotton (or cotton balls, if nothing else) stuffed into the toy's speaker will tone it down.<BR/><BR/>Two kids into this parent gig, we've started judging relatives by if the toy they send HAS a volume knob or not....Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17308665452575511461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-22455859354866811852007-09-07T00:31:00.000+10:002007-09-07T00:31:00.000+10:00Like Bluemountainsmary said, I have been guilty of...Like Bluemountainsmary said, I have been guilty of buying noisy or battery required toys in the past. But not any more! For the last few years, MDH and I have decided that all the kids in our families have enough toys, and they are getting books from now on. Whether they like it or not. :)<BR/><BR/>Yes, RIP to Pavarotti. One of the(if not THE) purest voices I have ever heard. It was perfect.Aunty Evilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18433383999833031264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-76435269280834979812007-09-06T23:44:00.000+10:002007-09-06T23:44:00.000+10:00I'm a softie like you.. I just took it.. the noise...I'm a softie like you.. I just took it.. the noise I mean. We had the popcorn popper toy too. I remember us showing it to GS in the store. He grabbed it and wouldn't let go. So it went through the checkout with us. LOLancient onehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12996555276368371467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-87791561501481877202007-09-06T22:13:00.000+10:002007-09-06T22:13:00.000+10:00I also have found that all the delightful people w...I also have found that all the delightful people who have given our kids noisy toys are childless themselves!<BR/><BR/>At times the toys have just 'stopped working' (ie the batteries have been removed) or simply can't be found ;-)<BR/><BR/>Ah, it's all good fun. I think. (!)Jellyheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05344630172173199819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-70436259564797238832007-09-06T22:03:00.001+10:002007-09-06T22:03:00.001+10:00I really hope that teacher wasn't Canadian! Lol. W...I really hope that teacher wasn't Canadian! Lol. We had a push toy called Popcorn that made a similar noise to popcorn popping but much louder. My DD used to cheer her son up by doing baby born (a toy that we don't have over here) advertisements in a heavy German (read Nazi) accent and talk of dropping it off the balcony etc. It had him in stitches no matter how upset he was.Joycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17083924435653058457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-40289024748101736242007-09-06T22:03:00.000+10:002007-09-06T22:03:00.000+10:00We got handed-down a couple of noisy toys like tha...We got handed-down a couple of noisy toys like that - from <I>other parents</I> who might have known better!! But our kids love them, and have had hours of pleasure from them. I just think they should all be fitted with volume switches, in kindness to the adults.<BR/><BR/>RIP Pavarotti indeed.Stomper Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04038937073264645029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-43843430244709983422007-09-06T21:51:00.000+10:002007-09-06T21:51:00.000+10:00A quick dunk in a bucket of water will silence you...A quick dunk in a bucket of water will silence your bus. Who takes a whole farmyard onto a bus any way??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-39458687147424952007-09-06T20:41:00.000+10:002007-09-06T20:41:00.000+10:00I have a lovely battery charger, and a set of batt...I have a lovely battery charger, and a set of batteries (all bought at garage sales of course!)<BR/>Want me to bring them over? :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01113915778341093316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-11752106731188965572007-09-06T20:18:00.000+10:002007-09-06T20:18:00.000+10:00Hi Meggie,, I bought my grandson a roudy toy when ...Hi Meggie,, I bought my grandson a roudy toy when he was here for a weekend. It nearly drove me crazy I didnt relize how noisy it wasIt had buzzes and whistles and all these loud noices I was like you waiting for the battery to go flat.but made sure it went home with them. it dissappeard on there trip home lol...Jeanettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16993328454036416214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-23059621986261682572007-09-06T19:56:00.000+10:002007-09-06T19:56:00.000+10:00It wasnt until I had kids of my own and took to hi...It wasnt until I had kids of my own and took to hiding all the noisy presents they were given by well meaning friends that I realised that I had been guilty of buying noisy presents too (which had no doubt been hidden ) and so the cycle continues.<BR/>And I am probably going to buy a pavarotti best of because his was a voice I took for granted after hearing it so often and now I know I will miss it.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08578720378832806483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-55728579913343931052007-09-06T19:23:00.000+10:002007-09-06T19:23:00.000+10:00Kim, because he love it so, I cant bring myself to...Kim, because he love it so, I cant bring myself to throw either the batteries or the damn toy away. So I guess, it is my own fault, it drives me crazy! haha.<BR/>My mother was just as soft- she would threaten, then, would give in to us!meggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00061112627819270427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880433.post-21280968124712245662007-09-06T19:17:00.000+10:002007-09-06T19:17:00.000+10:00RIP Pavarotti - a beautiful voice. Love the look ...RIP Pavarotti - a beautiful voice. Love the look of your WIP. I remember so many teachers like that, they had a strong sadistic streak in them!! My daughters had similar toys when they were younger, they use to drive us to distraction and we often just threw the batteries away.<BR/>KimxRagged Roseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08339985100168927169noreply@blogger.com