Welcome to my "pretending" flash back. Starring mainly little people and fisher price house #952 and also highlighting a kitchen set (which isn't like the one I had growing up, but no one makes metal kitchen sets anymore).
So when thinking about this week's topic I thought about trying to find pictures of the kids "pretending", but I thought it would be more fun to return to the late 70's and explore the world of my imagination. To say I loved my blue and yellow Fisher Price house growing up would be totally correct. In fact I still love that house. When I see it brought out for my kids, niece and nephew when playing at my parents home I just feel a warmth of happiness that goes through my whole body. The above little people were some of my first friends. I created elaborate decoration plans with the fisher price furniture along with elaborate stories of the family who lived within that great house. Those of you who have had the privilege to play with this home and people know just how cool the house, itself, was. The door bell really worked. The garage door really went up and down (manual no garage door openers), and the furniture added the final touch. The people were "cool" too. They had different hair, body colors, and the ability to fit into anything that had a nice circular bottom- chair, rocking hose, high chair, car, and Fisher Price Family Van - to name a few.
I found several sets of this house on Amazon and EBay. It amazed me what the house was going for. Property value had really increased over the years :). This set's bid began at $239. One set that included the fisher price van (which I also owned as a child) and some other accessories was $349.
I love that the person selling this set realized how important it was to show the interior of the home. I love the detail. I don't really have a favorite room of the home, but if I had to choose it probably would be the kitchen.
I remember thinking how cool it was that there were two ovens and an open fireplace in the kitchen.
Oh the hours and hours I sat at my kid table playing "house" and creating stories with the little people and their beautiful yellow and blue home.
Another area I remember doing quite a bit of pretending was in the play room at my childhood home. It was a smaller room, but it had a full length mirror behind the door and if I closed the door I could play chef and act like I was cooking for a TV show with my metal kitchen set. I think I saw Julia Child's cooking show on PBS and imitated her with use of the mirror.
My kitchen set growing up was one of those unbelievable garage sale finds. It was comprised of three major units: sink, stove and refrigerator. My mom brought home the kitchen set from a neighbor's driveway, cleaned up the set and even went so far as to put red n white checked contact paper for the refrigerator shelves. She gave us her old spice containers, cereal boxes and Quaker Oatmeal containers. I loved that kitchen. Besides putting my own "Julia Child's" cooking shows on my sister and I would play house. We had great play utensils too, which is key to make "pretending" the real deal.
Times have changed and now I have my own little ones doing their own "pretending". I've always been a little disappointed that my kids have never become enamored with their own fisher price little people sets. Somehow I think that is due to the fact that toys these days just aren't as cool as the toys I had growing up. The current fisher price home is all plastic and there is no cool decor in the home. I keep thinking we will buy them some great farm set or zoo set and their "pretending" will just take off, but thus far it just hasn't happened like it did for me growing up. It makes me kind of sad when thinking about their "pretending". Kids are growing up to quick these days- not just mine- but kids in general. I don't think there is enough "pretending" or if it is "pretending" maybe it is just me being "old" and not up to par with 21st century "pretending". When my daughter has her play cell phone and is carrying on a conversation with her grandma or papa or her cousins, who all live out of state, that is "pretending". When my son organizes his Star Wars characters alongside Lego buildings and moves them around he is "pretending". However, we have technology in our home and so the Wii games, and i-pad games are present and I worry that technology is sucking "pretending" out of my kid's play lives. How can you "pretend" to play Darth Vader with your light saber if it is on the screen right in front of you. Or how can you "pretend" to bake a cake when the "cupcake maker " Ap on IPad allows you to "bake" a cake in a high-tech way. Maybe I am "old" and a "fuddy-duddy", so I try to make room for both types of "pretending"- the old and the new.
This is not my kitchen set, but I thought it was cute and loved the vintage feel.
Side note- I definitely need to find a picture of me as a child playing with my fisher price house- Pictures are proof of our past and just think how happy I would be, for if only for a moment, if I could look at a picture of me as a child "pretending" with my "little people"- my first "peeps" everyday. If I get that picture I'll share it with you guys.
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