Memory Mondays: Children's Books

Little Courtney enjoying a story with Madeline

I've always been a reader for as long as I can remember. As a child, nothing made me more excited than the announcement that we were headed to the library. There I could find walls and walls of anything I wanted to read. I still find that same excitement today when I enter a quaint bookstore. I think this all stems from bedtime stories.

Bedtime stories are one of my favorite childhood memories. My parents understood the value of reading and instilled a love of it at an early age. I can recall snuggling into my sheets, grabbing my blankie and stuffed animal of choice, and settling down for a story. I even had a small little bookshelf in my room filled with all of my favorite childhood classics.

I'd like to take a moment to reminisce about a few of them:

1) Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom: Chicka chicka boooom booom....wiiilll there be enough room? This book was rather repetitive, but I liked it. The pictures were simple yet filled with vibrant bright colors. The whole color scheme was very late 80s early 90s. It also served educational purposes since it taught me the alphabet. Someone made a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom cake. I want one!

2) Madeline: "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines...the smallest one was Madeline." I cherished my Madeline anthology. I was filled with all the Madeline stories and the classic illustrations. I think what I really liked about this book was that everything rhymed. It severed as a nice beginning for the future poet within me. It was really cool when that Madeline movie came out in 1998. I think we saw it opening weekend.

Big Courtney still enjoying Madeline

3) Angelina Ballerina: I began dancing at the age of 2 1/2. For my first dance recital, I received an Angelina Ballerina book. I obviously don't have a vivid memory of this, but with each new recital, my collection grew. The books were cute and fun, but they also taught some important lessons.  I had a lovely Angelina stuffed animal complete with tutu and all. I still have it actually. When it's spring cleaning time year after year, I simply refuse to part with it.

4) Harold and the Purple Crayon: This picture book tells the story of a little boy with a magic crayon who could draw things in order to make them come to life. For example, he draws a boat and then sails off on it. I desperately wanted this magic crayon. It could certainly come in handy. For example, I'm really tired right now; I could draw myself a pillow.

5) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: This story serves as the perfect example of the slippery slope fallacy. Apparently, if you give a mouse a cookie, he will want to do a bunch of things like sweep the floor, color, and drink milk. Then, he will eventually want another cookie. Sorry if I just spoiled the book for you. I always thought the book was cute, and the pictures were nice. It apparently resulted in a few spin off series as well.

Now my tastes in literature have grown quite a bit, but my love of reading has remained constant. Unfortunately, as an English Major there's little time to read the books I want to read for pleasure. I now reserve my own personal reading for the summer time. Nothing beats packing a bunch of books for the beach and relaxing with them in the sun.

I was fortunate to add quite a few books to my collection this weekend at the Annapolis Book Festival. I must thank my fellow blogger, Ezra, for telling me about it. For $25, I could take a bag and fill it with as many used books as possible. I ended up walking out of there with 32 books! Quite a deal.

I think my former childhood self would be very proud that I now have a larger library and quite a few more bedtime story options.

May all your memories be meaningful,

Courtney

Flashback Fridays: Neopets

Photo Credit: SyntheticStar, 4Shared.com

Hi, I'm Courtney, and I was once a Neopet-holic. (Hiiiii Courtneyyyyy). OK so Neopets wasn't exactly "90s," but it was a big part of my childhood in the early 2000s, so you're just going to have to deal with that.

How do I even begin to describe Neopets? Neopets was (well is) an online community where children (and creepy adults?) could adopt a virtual pet, play games, collect NeoPoints, and have fun in a safe controlled environment. It was also incredibly addicting.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much time I spent on it between the ages of 8 and 10. Probably way more time than any kid should have spent in front of a computer, but everything was so pretty and fun! I mean I had to keep my Neopet alive right?! Actually...I don't think they die. They just get really hungry? I never fed mine. I probably shouldn't have kids one day. Um anyway...

There's so much to talk about regarding this website, but I think I will break it down into my 5 favorite things:

1. The Advent Calendar: Every December during the (politically correct) "Month of Celebrating," you could log on and receive a prize each day of the month! They ranged from various items of swagger for your Neopet to thousands of neopoints or a special avatar. It was daily dose of holiday cheer in the form of tiny pixels on a computer screen, and I loved it.

Advent Calendar!
Photo Credit: Rzmont, Photobucket.com

2. Scratch cards: Neopets had their own form of the lottery. Every few hours or so you could purchase a scratch card in order to win rare prizes or a jackpot!!1!1!!1!!!11! I enjoyed buying these with my hard earned neopoints. I probably bought about three a day. I might have had a gambling problem.

Why do you mock me Kiosky Wocky?!
Photo Credit: Neopets.com

3. The Wheels: Wheel Of Excitement, Wheel of Knowledge, Wheel of Mediocrity, Etc. Neopets also featured various wheels that you could spin in order to win rare prizes or a jackpot!!1!1!!1!!!11! I recall spending lots of time watching the wheel spin round and round in hope of winning a paintbrush but usually coming out with a mere 50 neopoints. Whatever. I might have had a gambling problem.

Wheel of Excitement! Look at all the pretty colors!
Photo Credit: Neopets.com

4. Poogle Races: Every 15 minutes Neopets would allow you pick one of 5 "poogles" (One of Neopets many made up pet breeds) and bet on whether or not they would win. The amount you won depended on how much you bet. I always picked Poogle number two. Yes, I had a favorite number to bet on. I might have had a gambling problem.

Run Poogles Run!
Photo Credit: TheDailyNeopets.com

5. Cheat: Neopets had a lot of different games you could play. Many were flash based adventure games or puzzles. I preferred the simple card game of cheat. I later found out it's based off of a card game called BS. Well actually it is BS but with a child friendly name. I was pretty skilled at calling the bluff of various computer characters. I might have had a gambling problem.

Bring it on Little Timmy the Tuskaninny
Photo Credit: Neopets.com

There you have it! Everything I loved on the internet in my later elementary school years. I am really not sure if this gave you an adequate overview of Neopets or an insight into my compulsive and addictive tendencies as a child. I think I just came to a sobering realization that I might have had a gambling problem. Well, at least I got it out of my system early.

I need to go buy a lottery ticket or something.

Flashback Fridays: Power Rangers!

Go Go Power Rangers!
I'd totally rock those boots.
Photo Credit: FanPop.com

I will preface this by saying if you didn't have a favorite Power Ranger, you were not a child of the 90s. But like really. Ok that may be a little harsh, but these six heros were a huge part of the 90s childhood culture. I can recall many afternoons running around the cul-de-sac imitating killer karate moves in an effort to save the world before dinner time.

I would always fight for my right to be the Pink Ranger. I mean come on, I had brown hair just like she did. Shouldn't that be evidence enough? Anyways, we'd traverse through back yards and around the houses fighting off those imaginary bad guys that of course only we could see.

I always wanted to be the Pink Ranger. I totally had a pink ranger barbie doll, pink ranger costume, and pink ranger morphing action figure. I may have been a little obsessed. We'll chalk up to be embracing my inner theatrical side. 

I don't recall much of the television show, but I do remember that the movie was pretty kick ass. Just watch this clip: 

All those special effects! All that action! All that spandex! 

 OK so yes the girls were given the typical pink and yellow colors, but can we step back and think about how these girls showed just as much power as the boys? They weren't the damsels in distress often found in superhero stories; they actually were a part of the super group. They switched it up though. I think in one of the later series/spin offs the blue ranger was a girl and the yellow ranger was a boy. Yay switching it up from typical "gender appropriate" colors. 

If you're currently wanting to fulfill your dream of becoming a Power Ranger, I found a website selling t-shirts. I still want to rock the Pink Ranger one. Now accepting donations... not really, but my birthday is in July. 

Who was your favorite Ranger? 

"Where Are They Now?" Wednesdays: Your Favorite Cartoon Characters

Alright so this is a bit of a deviation from my standard "Where are They Now?" Wednesday topics. I typically indulge in some hardcore investigative journalism and dig up juicy details on our favorite 90s has-beens. Actually I just spend a few minutes googling, but that did sound pretty legit.

However, this week, I am taking the fictional route. On College Humor, someone posted a few illustrations of what all of our favorite 90s/early 2000s cartoon characters would be up to if they were now in college like most of us.

The pictures were too funny to resist sharing. I'm not going to post all of them because you should totally go give the original artist some love on their site. (The images are split between two posts)  I'm just going to feature a few of my favorites.

All photos are credited to Patrick Merryman of College Humor

All your favorite brainiacs and trouble makers in the library

I'm a little surprised by Timmy Turner in this, but I guess if you spent your childhood with Fairly OddParents this is what happens

Anime Fight Club? I can't decide if I would pick Pikachu or Hello Kitty

Hit the nail right on the head with the "cool black friends" one.

I have to admit, it's odd seeing some characters from my youth in a completely different light. I feel like I've been (POW!) kicked right in the childhood.

What do you think of this "Cartoon University?" Any characters you would have liked to see that Patrick missed?