Childs play.

The Memento book asks"what was my favorite childhood toy?". I couldn't think of one so I thought I would just start writing and see what comes out. I remember having barbies, like most little girls. I used to sit in my room for hours acting out adult-like scenarios with them. Or what I thought adults got up to. I remember a few dolls that stood out. Probably the one I missed most after losing it was my Jemima doll that my Mum made. She was made of canvas, with woolen hair and stitched on face. The kids tv show had a Jemima doll just like her that Mum must have used the pattern for. I lost her after my sister was born, I think once we were sharing a room, so I might have been about 6. I was never convinced that I had left her at the shops as my Mum said, and looked for her for ages. Mum started making another, for my younger sister. It never got finished, but I used to check on it from time to time, hoping it would be done. I later chose another canvas doll at a handmade stall that my Mum secretly put away for Christmas. I remember my Dad making a doll house for me. He pretended it was shelves while he made it. I had a pretend cabbage patch doll, and a doll that smelled like honey, with rollerskates. I loved my hand-me-down rollerskates. We used to skate around the local schools lunch area, with a group that was organized for every Saturday. I never really took toys to bed. I remember trying! I always ended up throwing them out, as soon as I fell asleep. I envied my baby sisters soft toys, but I was too old for them. My trampoline! Probably my favorite toy! Does that count as a toy? Hours of entertainment and contemplation. It is probably because of this that I had my husband lay-by the biggest trampoline that Target has. The children will get it for Christmas. I can't wait. Despite being one of four, I spent a lot of my time on my own. I would Climb trees, and sit up there all day. Or play in the empty block next door when it was full of clover and bees. Mostly I would read books. My aunt Helen would always buy books for me for gifts, and I loved absorbing myself in a story. I remember wanting to pass this love on to my little sister, but it never really had the same effect for her. I had an adult library pass from early school age so I could get more books at once, and when I was old enough to walk alone, I would make a couple of trips a month to the library, with my bag full of books. I did this till I moved out of home. I really appreciate that my Mum made the effort to get me to the library regularly. I remember asking to go quite a lot. Now I order my books online and get my husband to pick them up from the library. So I guess nothing's changed much since I was a child.