What Ever Happened to my Favorite Toys?

Tonight I was walking with my son Andrew. As we walked we chatted about life and I shared with him what it was like for me growing up in the mountains as an only child. He mentioned that he really liked playing with the Light Bright when he was small. I reminded him that he never followed the color letters, which drove me nuts. I hardly let him and his twin brother Austin play with the Light Brights because they did not follow the pattern. Even at the age of three, their creativity could not be bound by following instructions. I told him that my next favorite toy was the Easy Bake Oven. He said that he always wanted an Easy Bake Oven, but Austin never wanted one. He also did not understand how good a cake could be if it were cooked by the heat of a light bulb.

This discussion reminded me of one the most annoying things about growing up in the mountains. Yes, Santa could find me the toy of my hearts desire. But replacement parts or accessories were very difficult to come by. Once all of the cake mixes or Light Bright design sheets were all used up, it was impossible to locate replacements for each. The Light Bright came with enough sheets to amuse me long enough to be satisfied when all of the design papers were gone. However, the Easy Bake Oven had just enough mixes to leave me wanting more. I remember my parents making several trips to the Western Auto, the only toy store in town, looking for more Easy Bake mixes. Sadly, more mixed were never found. I am not sure of the fate of my Easy Bake Oven. I probably blew it up making cheese toast. I do know that I did not burn down the house with it and I never found more mixes. As I think back on my childhood, I am grateful that my parents went out of there way to make sure that I had the latest and greatest toys. I am also grateful to live in a town where I can find Easy Bake Oven mixes on every corner.