Stretch Armstrong.

[Heidi]

Aside from the Spirograph, Viewmaster and Star Wars action figures, this had to be one of the coolest toys ever. My brother's Stretch Armstrong became even cooler in our eyes when we discovered that Stretch's interior is composed of something that looks (but doesn't taste) like maple syrup.

[gmoney]

1. Actually, I'm pretty sure it WAS a form of corn syrup

As a kid, I knew another kid who claimed his father invented Stretch, but it was never verified.

That was one of those toys I always coveted, but never actually got to try out. Another was that "Mousetrap" game where you build the sort of Rube Goldberg machine during the course of the game.

[Archae]

2. "Mousetrap" is still around.

n/t

[WCGreen]

5. I always wanted that game....

But since my dad drank a lot alot of the time, most of the toys that required assembly, which was almost everyone back then, he put them together like a Rube Goldberg machine.....

So I guess I was living a mousetrap game.....

Huh, the things you realize when you haven't been sleeping....

[Heidi]

3. Our parents usually bought us educational stuff . . .

but once in a while, they'd cave and buy something like click-clacks or Stretch Armstrong. :eyes:

I've never seen the Mousetrap game. :shrug:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. My brother's was filled with corn syrup

I know because I bit the silly thing. It tasted pretty good, too!

[spuddonna]

4. AAAHHH!

He's baaaaaack!! Stretch! I'm sorry we cut off your arm!! It was my brother's idea! He wanted Voltron to shoot a rocket that blew off your hand! I'm so sorry..... At least we didn't put your head in my Easy Bake Oven....

[Heidi]

7. Welcome to DU, spuddonna!

I never had an Easy Bake Oven! My mother's position was, "Unfortunately, you'll probably have a real oven all too soon. Let's not spoil your childhood with immitations of drudgery." :rofl:

[WCGreen]

8. I love your mother....

My father would say things like this when I asked him to take me to a ball game...

He was a tool and die maker....

Little WC Green, he would say, when those ball players pay to come and see me make metal chips on this here machine, then I will pay money to watch them play catch.....

Real warm and fuzzy kinda guy my dad......

[Heidi]

9. I'll bet . . .

that your father loved you in the best way he knew how, WC.

Both of my parents were pretty progressive and very focused on giving me (as a girl) at least as many advantages as boys in my peer group got in order to prepare them for the real world. I was lucky in many, many respects.

[WCGreen]

10. He was fine.....

Drank a lot, bitched a lot....

But when it came down to it, he gave me a great sense of humor, a wonderful outlook on life and a life time love of life.....

[Atlas Mugged]

11. Oh, man.....cool mom!!! n/t

[spuddonna]

12. Imitations of drudgery!? lol

Wow! I could see that if it was the "Fisher Price Toliet Cleaning Set" but geez, it just made cakes! :) Although, I can understand her point - I loathe cooking. I don't know what I would do if pizza chains hadn't popped up everywhere on this planet! (Thanks for the welcome, too!)