Role playing

It was oh so simple then.

Boys were do-ers, always active, always in the thick of any activity leading it with authority playing games.

Girls did play games, sometimes they'd play with us but they preferred to play amongst themselves being nurses, teachers even if sometimes they'd wear cowboy outfits or dress pretty.

In 1970 it was straightforward, mirroring more how our parents lived and so they were our role models when it came to what being a boy or a girl was.

It was great being a boy back then.

Getting it together

We played a lot with our toy cars and trucks that some talk about in a more collecting context but for us they were toys to be used so we'd have them lined up with a story for imaginative play with pile ups, delays, even crashes and what not going on.
 

There are actually some websites for boys like us such as this but they tend not to last for very long either because the hosts don't really understand what they and we are all about or some folk seem to forget just why you need rules about what you can post and where.

Cowboys and Indians in the 70's and 80's

One thing looking back at my boyhood was I had and enjoyed playing games that featured cap guns and back then there was less issues around what boys "ought" to playing and around having toy guns on you in the street.

We did play "Cowboys and Indians" splitting into two groups, fighting, trying to capture each other and mock kill them with our cap guns copying the rituals we learned from "Westerns" we saw on tv.

For us it was just a game, we didn't look deeply into historical context or any racial motives where our imaginations ran riot in gardens, local woods or countryside.

I enjoyed playing it even the being captured and tied up cos we knew what was acceptable and when you were being hurtful or otherwise mean and the grown ups we knew also could tell when play was fine to left alone and where they might step in if things were out of hand and we needed chastising.

It was better to let us work with our boyish streaks than to try to make us be more like girls.

I was never a softie for all my disabilities.

B is for birthday

Seeing this is a new blog I guess we need to set new  rituals and that starts with writing about an annual event 

The number of times a period of fifty-two weeks elapses in my life is considerable but in truth I'm never really older is in feeling simply because I am incapable of getting older that way and in lots of ways in real life more than perhaps for some through age-play, I remain forever young.

You just get more practised at being your emotional age that's all!

This return trip saw me have a good number cards from family and relatives although because here in the UK because they had Mothering Sunday on the same day that meant not just more going on it meant both Mum and I being at a joint meal.

There's a down to earth local public house here within a few minutes walk that often has people we know in so we went for a joint meal where I opted for Vegetable soup, a Turkey Roast  and Chocolate Fudge Pudding with ice cream which was delicious.

I had a couple of books by my favourite living authoress

A modern retelling of What Katy Did that I kinda missed out on reading for some reason or other

The latest part in the Hetty Feather historical adventure series that came out late last year in big book aka Hard Back form.

They arrived by courier less than half an hour before I was due to go out!!!

I had some money from my folks a brother and an aunt which can diverted to something appropriately little and some Amazon vouchers from my older brother that I'll need to look at how to get them to my account as techno stuff just loses me at times.

I had also like a good number of Middles and Littles  the Disney animated full length emotion movie Inside/Out on dvd and a few cds although I tend to get them through across the year whereas when I was younger they tended to be more things I had at birthdays and Christmas's

I'll conclude by thanking my friends for their birthday wishes.

The birthday spanking ritual for us?

 Birthday Spanking’ is a popular children's’ birthday custom which for many people continue into adulthood. 

The birthday spanking, unlike a punishment spanking, is meant to be given in a fun and lighthearted manner with lots of humorous fun and banter for both parties. 

The birthday spanking, is applied depending one own family tradition, to either the seat of the skirt/trousers/pants or the underwear, or even the bare bottom, but it’s usually given over the lap by the child’s parent. 

The number of customary smacks given is denoted by the age of the birthday boy or girl, ie: one smack for each year of life and always one extra hard smack at the end for luck, as in the rhyme, ‘One extra to grow on’. 

Therefore a 10 year old would receive 11 smacks in total. Such Birthday spankings are usually a highlight of a child’s birthday party with all their friends and family gathered round to bear witness that the spanking has been duly given and the luck has been passed on for another year.

Personally in so far as a adult little boys go if you were spanked as a child or are getting them now, I feel you should be given such a spanking as a matter of course dropping you on that most special of days into a child-like state.

The burning question if you poardon the pun is whither or not I get one this year.

Play is thirsty work

Play with your mates is thirsty work with all that running around, making things and inevitable a high proportion of horse play with rough housing as gentile it sure ain't being a tea party free setting and not always in places like parks.

We'd roam the nearby woods, semi deserted pathways and the like playing ball games when not playing war games dividing into sides with "The Enemy" if captured being "tortured" usually tickled or playfully slapped on the legs until we gave away "secrets" of that mission.

It was hardly suprising we formed tight bonds.

As rough by modern standards it was, we loved it.

A littles break

I was a way for a few days as a adult litttle boy  with a group of people I encoutered and this is a kind of an account of it.

Having packed my bags with a few days change of clothing and with my grey short trousers on I made my way to the venue to be met by the others.

The first part of Sunday having gotten up was a more do your own thing so I played with some Duplo, making buildings and did some colouring which I find very relaxing before midday. As well I  played with a Town and Country wooden train set and had my photograph taken outside. The lens didn't shatter!

In the afternoon we had the Colour Quiz, it maybe an invention of Sam's I'm not too sure but the theme was Disney Prince & Princesses and having gotten in teams you have to find in strict order pictures of them, each giving you a clue to next to find until you finish.

I teamed up with Martin as we ran around the building up and downstairs looking through every public space for them sometimes for what seemed like ages several times over.

Eventually we found ours and so had our Chocolate Egg.

We had a full-blown Chicken roast that night complete with 'Pigs in blankets' plus stuffing balls followed by either Raspberry or Strawberry vanilla ice cream which was scrumptious.

Later on that Evening, one member held her Big Quiz with lots of general knowledge questions and a name the person in the photo section and Paul's team (which also included Sam and I) came second in it.

There was an arts and crafts session where I didsome colouring and making things from felt.

I quite enjoyed myself  at the littles break  free from all adult stuff, just being a boy again.