... when I was a kid, my dad.....

When I was a kid, my dad used to play on a softball team. I don't remember how often (2-3x a week?), I just remember ALWAYS going to the ballfields. In my memory, we practically lived at the ballfields, b/c that's all I really remember. We used to go to the ballfield right around the corner from where we lived growing up. They didn't have a cool playground. Or a cool concession stand. But, one thing my dad always did (or that I remember he did) was buy my brother & I some of this gum, ready for us to "chew" at the game.

I loved this gum. All of my dad's friends who played ball with him used the real stuff (and then hack & spit the brown crap out all over the ground.... EWW!). But, we used to grab a huge bunch of gum, and chew away. I think we tried to spit the sugar juice out like Big Al used to (or whoever it was that did it), but all it did was take the flavor out, and make a huge mess (and attract all the mosquitos).

Then my dad's team went to a new park... with an AWESOME playground, and the BEST concession stand. And I fell in love with these:

These were only five cents. And my dad ALWAYS had five cents on him (or my mom... I'm sure we pestered her too and she probably freely gave in to get us out of her hair... don't blame her!).... we'd run up to him while he was resting in the dugout, and with our faces pushed up against that diamond shaped fence, holding out our hands through the fence with a "can we have some money?".

Which brings me to why I'm blogging about candy & gum. I haven't seen these since I was a kid! However, just a few weeks ago, I found the gum, at a sports good store! Whoa! Brought back memories of playing in the playground, getting dirty, cheering my dad & his team on.... and going to the pizza place afterwards, eating pizza & drinking Shirley Temples or Roy Rogers drinks. It was THE life of a kid.

The suckers were another weird thing... I hadn't seen them until Katie was a few years old, at the local Ben Franklin's store. They sold all those old fashioned candy (remember cinnamon toothpicks? they had them! I used to make those!), but they increased it to a quarter. I bought a bunch b/c for my little kid eating them, they were pretty nice to clean up after a 2 year old instead of a regular DumDum sucker. But, I haven't seen then since, until August came, and my girls went to a birthday party at this pizza place, and THEY.HAD.THEM! Oh! The memories! I tried one, and WHAT WAS I THINKING? These things are SOUR! I don't remember them being sour!

What is YOUR favorite candy from when you were a kid that brings back memories? Are they the wax candy w/ the nasty liquid stuff in it? Cigarette candy? {wink}