Sometimes having children is about revisiting the past. Do you have any of your childhood toys left? Lucky for me, my mother is a bit of a packrat and kept many of our things. Now we regularly drink from Smurf and Muppet glasses, my children play with my old doll house and use my handmade wooden doll beds. It’s nice to see things come full circle.
But these Ant and Bee books were a different story. I had them squirreled away on a shelf, intending never to share them with my children as they are too precious. The books were originally printed in the UK in the ’70s with a re-print in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but are now out of print. They are selling for rather outlandish prices, as you can see here. But mine aren’t in very good condition and what’s the point in having something that you can’t share? So I pulled them down from the shelf and had a flood of memories as my daughter read them aloud. So sweet — and really great books. As my seven-year-old was reading Ant and Bee and the Rainbow, my five-year-old followed along reading the names of the colors. Angela Banner’s words and illustrations are still relevant today. They should print these again.
Then my friend Laura brought the girls a super awesome gift – her Barbie townhouse that she had as a girl, still in its original box and in perfect condition. My husband said this was the Death Star of Barbie toys. I took one look at that elevator and remembered that I also had this as a kid. Somewhere down the line it didn’t make it back to me, but it’s so nice to complete the circle. My younger daughter especially loves Barbie, though I have rather mixed emotions. But then I do that “Well, I played with them as a kid” thing that we as parents often do. You know, since we turned out so well. And this Barbie house has a working elevator. Now that’s just cool.
OMGosh!! I had one of those elevator Barbie houses!! Just seeing this brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood!
My mom just brought my Aunt and Bee book over a few months ago and as soon as I saw it I had such flashback to sitting on our kitchen floor reading it at 7 or 9. What a treasure.
I love those books. Gorgeous.
My mum still has some bath toys that we used to play with and my son playing with them brings the memories back.
Lovely post.
I loved Ant and Bee. I have been looking for my copies ever since my son was born. Sadly I think they didn’t survive my cousins. I still have the copy of Aesop’s Fables that I had as a child, illustrated by Calder, needless to say those aren’t in my sons room either.
OH! I LOVE Ant and Bee. Along with a host of other books that are now ridiculously priced and no longer in print (Bumble). Thank you for reminding me of those wonderful characters.
I had that Barbie house too! What fun memories this brings back!
Oh, that Barbie townhouse! Swoon! I have a similar case of mixed emotions over my daughter’s love of all things Barbie, but I have also taken the “Barbie didn’t do me any harm” approach. Poor old Barbie gets scapegoated an awful lot. I feel for her. I’m not keen on stepping on her pointy little shoes in the night, but other than that, I think she’s okay.
I had the Barbie townhouse and looooved it. I loved swooshing the elevator up and down.
My parents were all ‘free to be you and me’ gender neutral so I was never allowed Barbies. I’ve never had one single Barbie. Ever. I only had one doll, which I disliked, that my grandma had given me. But I definitely agree that having kids is revisiting childhood! They play with my Fisher Price camper van (scattering the toys mercilessly) and my xylophone. I also read them my precious “The King, The Mice and the Cheese” book.
http://www.amazon.com/King-Mice-Cheese-Beginner-Books/dp/0394800397
Wow, I think I must have read those books, they’re just on the edge of my memory! My mom was also a pack rack (luckily!) and a primary school teacher so we too have a lovely library of Cat in the Hat reading series books, not to mention lots of Fisher Price!
My best friend had one of those Barbie houses – we played with it constantly – what a great find!
I had the Barbie townhouse too!! I was the oldest of 4 girls though, so none of my toys made it through all that 🙂
My daughter just broke one of my Care Bear glasses from the 80’s. Wah! Those books are precious!
Great post! I had 12 Barbie dolls as a little girl, but I never had the townhouse (they didn’t sell it in my old part of the world). Even getting the Barbie dolls wasn’t easy – my uncles and cousins had to get them for me from all over Europe.
Every time I see something that reminds me of them, I get so nostalgic, not because these were my favorite toys, but because of all the effort that went into obtaining one (let alone 12).
Cheers!
I love the pics!
Oh how I wanted that Barbie Townhouse!
My mom kept all of my Fisher Price Little People toys from the 70s (the castle, the houseboat, the Sesame Street apartment building and clubhouse, the hospital, etc.), and my girls play with them constantly. 40 years later, those toys continue to entertain and encourage creativity. Isn’t that great?
I agree about letting the kids read the books. My MIL gave us my husband’s books and they are 40 years old. Some even have dedications in them from his grandparents who have passed. I don’t think they will survive another 40 so let them enjoy them!
I had that Barbie house! Thanks for the flashback.
The 7 year old in me is jealous. Can I come over to play?
My little sister had that house. I wasn’t quite as fond of Barbie, but I did discover that with the right amount of momentum and a quick jerk you could make the elevator fly out of the roof and across the room 😎
i remember the ant & bee books !!! thanks for the trip down memory lane ! have a great day !
yes, everything has a lifetime with you and then it is good to pass it on and give it new life! good for you! books are sad way up high on a shelf, I’m glad you decided to share 🙂
beautiful pics and a nice subject, thank you!
I never came across the ant and bee books as a child, but my husband was raised on them and was delighted to find a second hand copy of one at a recent school fete – the children are obsessed with it!
Oh I loved Ant and Bee when I was little! We had the Rainbow one and also one which was a story based on the alphabet. I was always a bit confused because I had Aunties called Anthea and Bea and I thought it was somehow related to Ant and Bee…
I had that Barbie Town House. I loved the elevator. How nice for your friend to let you have hers.
ah – my friend had a barbie townhouse….i so wanted one, but santa never delivered….:(
we don’t have a lot left from our past – we moved around a lot and each time things got chucked out. also we gave a lot away to those who had less than us – sometimes i wonder what happened to my barbie, and my books….i guess that’s why i hold on to all my kids toys 😉
l
x
Wheeeeeeeheeeeeeeeeee. I had one of those Barbie Townhouses when I was a kid and I’m always (well, not always, but I have mentioned it a couple of times) telling my three girls about it. I was thrilled to read your blog this morning and yelled at them all from the pooter “Come LOOK, come look at this!!” – they are in agreeance, it is COOL and they wish it had’ve been kept in the family.
Oh! I had that dream house, too, and I used to stuff that elevator full of Barbies and then let it drop to the floor. What was wrong with me? 😉 Anyway, so exciting to see it again!
I LOVED the Ant and Bee books!!!! My friend had the Barbie Townhouse.
Totally know what you mean about being on the fence about Barbie. I am too with my 3 year old. But I have found some old school handmade clothes that dont scream street hooker and I have been ok with it alittle bit more. Now I just need to find me, i mean her, *smile* an awesome barbie house!
Ohman, I love those books and that old Barbie house! You made me wonder if my folks still have my old Littles house. It was so cute! My sis and I used to play with that thing for hours.
I had that Barbie townhouse too! As soon as I saw the picture, I could instantly remember how the plastic smelled the first time I played with it. Ah, memories…
That “orange” page is awesome. I actually have the red wooden elephant my father-in-law clutched to his chest on the long boat ride from Greece to Australia as a 4 year old in the 1950s. It is immensely precious not only because of it’s age and broken beauty, but more so because of what it represented for him – a tiny, tangible piece of his childhood in Greece.
you are the first person I have EVER met who knows ant and bee books. I’m so thankful my mom saved the ones she read to me as a child. We have Ant and Bee tell time and Ant and Bee, Ant and Bee go Shopping ( my personal fav ), one, two three with ant and bee and ant and bee and the doctor. I adored these books as a child. I read them to my daughter and she fell in love with them too. However, I keep them on a high shelf where only mommy has access to them. I tried on ebay to buy more books and discovered they are quite collectible and expensive. Glad to know there are other Ant and Bee lovers out there!!
Both my husband and myself read the Ant and Bee books as a child. We have about 6 of them now – my husband gives my daughter Lucy one every year on her birthday. They are so special and I have such fond memories of them. My mother passed away this past September and now the books hold a very special meaning. Mom would take us to the library every week and the Ant and Bee books would always come home with me. My daughters favorite is Ant and Bee and the doctor.
That is the Barbie house that my best friend had when we were growing up. Oh, the hours and hours we spent happily playing with that. Thank you for the delightful memory! Meredith.
Oh my- I have a lot of my old books and all of my Barbies.I even had tht townhouse but didn’t keep that one….
I have a different Barbie house in storage at my parents that I look forward to giving to my now 3 yr old ~ who loves to drive Barbie in her car around the house…sometimes my sons GI Joe goes along for the ride, Barbie still does the driving. I remember building additions onto the house and am so happy that my parents have kept it for us!
I have three Ant and Bee books (And and Bee Time, Around the World with Ant and Bee, and One Two Three with Ant and Bee) from when I was little. I now read them to my three children. Strangely, my husband HATES those books – how can you hate Ant and Bee??? He can’t read them, they drive him batty, so I do it. And I don’t mind at all, they are lovely. Because the kids LOVE them, and that is what matters! So glad to see I am not the only one.
Oh my goodness!!! The Barbie Townhouse!!! The Christmas I was 9 that was my “big gift.” I loved that thing. Thanks for sharing!!!
Laura
OMG! I STILL have that town house in the original box as well as the furniture and other barbie stuff to go with it – just waiting for the day my daughter will be old enough to play with it all. Thanks for bringing back the memories!
I came via a link at Whatever AND my mouth fell open when I saw the last picture! I HAD that townhouse!!!! I still remeber that pull string elevator. 🙂
I had the Barbie Townhouse, but my graphics were different than the one you have. Mine is from the 70s, so it’s all orange and yellow. I wonder if my mom still has it?? I also had Barbie’s Pop-up camper, and my sister had the Barbie Camper and Barbie’s Dream Boat. We played a lot of Barbie, and we turned out just fine.
LOVE your husband’s comment! It IS the Death Star of Barbie toys! haha I had it too & LOVED it. Cool that your daughters will enjoy it. 🙂 My daughter wanted nothing to do with my barbies so I gave them to a niece who loved them TO DEATH. I had the camper, the air plane and others, we never had money for that stuff, but people would just give them to my Grandma for me or else she’d pick them up at rummage sales. It’s so good to be loved. Thanks for the memories & laughs, smooch your hubby for being such a good-natured daddy. 🙂
Donna
I had one of those Barbie Dream Homes! So Cool!
aw, ant and bee and KIND DOG. What a wonderful flashback. I loved and still love those insects.
Memories…my sister was the owner of THAT doll house when we were growing up and how I coveted it ! I had the Barbie camper but I was always jealous of her doll house !
I wonder if Mum still has it stashed somewhere….and my Sister has forgotten it was hers…hhhmmm?????
x PJ X
Oh..my daughter is begging me for a barbie house. That one is a beauty! I had the camper, corvette and pool set. We found second hand Barbie pool last summer and eagerly set it up in the kitchen, it leaked everywhere.
I had the same Barbie Townhouse. My three older brothers would sneak up on Barbi and me and shake the townhouse into collapse shouting “Earthquake”!
I’m only somewhat scarred by it…..!
Wow !! I had one of those too !! I remember a swing – a chair-swing that hanged from the 1st floor’s ceiling …
I HAD THIS EXACT TOWNHOUSE! Gasp! Also with the Barbie corvette. Barbie is the first “person” I started sewing clothes for. Thanks, Barbie.