Numerous Gifts

Today at school Ern did an art project where you put paper in a container and cover marbles in paint then shake them around to make a picture? I think that's how it works.

Ernie is such a messy eater that they seem to be stripping him before they serve meals.

Big Ern got more packages from his grandmothers today.

He got some toys from Lydia Gram and 

a fun Christmas ornament from Johnny Gram.

Toys Exhibit

Today we scoped out the Missouri History Museum's soon to end exhibit on the toys of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I recognized a few of them from playing at my grandma's house with toys that used to belong to my aunts and uncles.

Mr. Machine

Grandma had this terrifying version of Cootie with a bug that looked like a little alien.

I had an oldschool barrel of monkeys that I feel like I must have inherited as well. This toy has a fun St. Louis backstory. A barrel with a game inside was originally pitched to Anheuser-Busch as a promotional tool. Then someone realized that the barrel was missing something: a multitude of lame plastic monkeys whose only purpose in life is interlocking with other plastic moneys. Just fill an empty soup can with paperclips and save yourself 5 dollars.

Creepy Casper

This exhibit blew my brain up. Apparently Mr. Potato Head was originally just a bunch of face pieces and kids had to jam them into self-supplied fruits and vegetables. I wonder how many kids jammed a couple of ears onto a banana then forgot the thing in their toybox for a few weeks...

My apartment building is doing its best to pop my tires.