OMG the anticipation of the school book fair ... counting the days until they opened the makeshift little bookstore in the cafeteria, begging mom to load you up with dollar bills like you were headed to a strip club, and THAT AMAZING ORDER FORM! Dive into the past and present of school book fairs this week with The Latchkey Kids!

Dr. Amy had her doubts about this episode. "The Cold War is not FUN!" she said over and over. But you know what? This is unequivocally the MOST FUN podcast episode about the Cold War you are ever likely to hear! It has everything: sporting event drama, hit songs in the gorgeous German language, and the existential threat of nuclear annihilation! Relive the Cold War in all its glory with the Latchkey Kids.

Do you remember what you were doing 40 years ago, in January 1985? While much of the country shivered under a historic cold snap that derailed plans for President Reagan's second inauguration, Madonna climbed to the top of the pop music charts. Jump into the Latchkey Kids time machine this week as we take an in-depth look at a frozen moment in time.

There's a couple of days left before Christmas so you still have time to pick up a few last-minute gifts for your treasured loved ones. You know, something they'll love ... like the Thighmaster, or The Clapper, or the miraculous Flowbee vacuum-powered haircutting machine. These are products you can trust! And you know that's true because the TV is telling you it's true! But wait, there's more ...

Did your city have a quirky, wacky local kids TV show that ALL the kids watched before school every morning? Did it feature a clown or a sheriff or a salty sea captain as its host? Growing up in metro Phoenix in the 1980s, Aaron and Dr. Amy had "Wallace & Ladmo," one of the longest-running regional kids shows in America and the source of the oft-envied but ne'er-possessed "Ladmo Bag," whose ingredients have remained a mystery until this episode!

This episode, which showcases a few classic 1980s comedy films that parody life in the military, is an official VERY SPECIAL EPISODE in several ways. First, it was recorded live in front of a studio audience, just like "The Facts of Life." Second, Aaron and Dr. Amy were in the same room together during the recording of this very special episode. And lastly, at the end of this very special episode (SPOILER ALERT!), Dr. Amy finds herself trapped inside an old refrigerator in a vacant lot.

The 1980s was a golden era for war movies. As veterans of the Vietnam War grew older and processed their experiences overseas, Hollywood tapped superstar directors like Oliver Stone and Stanley Kubrick to tell their amazing, harrowing stories. Join The Latchkey Kids as we salute our military with this two-parter about some of the greatest movies ever made.

Have you ever truly done anything SCANDALOUS? Did you lose your job/end up in the news/go to prison because you made a sex tape/committed fraud/insulted the Catholic Church? Well, if you haven't lived a scandalous life, tune in to this episode of The Latchkey Kids to hear about those brave trailblazers of the 1980s who put scandal before themselves!

It's not often Aaron and Dr. Amy agree on such things but they are united in their undying love for the Beastie Boys, the raw, petulant, and uncompromising New York City rappers who took the world by storm in 1986 with their debut album, "Licensed to Ill." After the Beasties got our attention, they took us along for a musical ride that spanned 30 years and eight albums. Learn all there is to know about The Beastie Boys on this episode of The Latchkey Kids.

Tom Cruise truly has it all: devilish good looks, charisma out the wazoo, a trail of gorgeous ex-wives, and an unprecedented five-decade run as one of the hottest movie stars in Hollywood. But you know what People magazine's 1990 "Sexiest Man Alive" DOESN'T have? An Oscar. And why might that be? Could it be the couch-jumping or the Scientology? Dive deep into the mysterious world of Tom Cruise on this week's episode of The Latchkey Kids.