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The Gifts of Christmas Past

caninelover's picture

SO received a package with Bratty's Christmas gift to him (she got me nothing and I got her nothing - and that is totally how I want it).  It was actually quite nice, it was a short sleeve shirt that fit him well and looks good on him.  The note inside was signed by both Bratty and Nutter GF.

It got me reminiscing about Bratty and the Gifts of Christmas Past (well, some of these were birthday / non-Christmas but I added them in anyway):

1.  A case of bottled water (a 24 pack, like you get in a grocery store) that Bratty had shipped to SO for his birthday.  Of course the shipping cost more than the water and why water anyway?

2. $5 gift card to REI (from Bratty to me  for a birthday several years ago) that she used 'points' that the search engine Bing gives you for using it.  And yes, she told me that is how she 'bought' the gift card.

3.  Ticket to a local wine tasting for one person (from Bratty to me last year for Christmas).

4.  Machine that converts 8-track cassettes to CDs (from Bratty to SO).  PS - SO owns not one single 8-track cassette and neither do I.

5.  Some wall art (from Bratty to me for Christmas) so I could decorate my house in a way reminiscent of Bratty's childhood memories.

6.  Giant framed pictures of herself (from Bratty to SO for her college graduation) 

So given the past - it was nice that SO got a relatively normal gift this year.  Yet another sign that Bratty may be growing up?  We'll see...but in the meantime feel free to chime in with your 'best of SK gifts' to cheer us all up Smile

 

Comments

JRI's picture

Nowadays, our 5 kids are mature enough and established enough to give appropriate gifts (or their spouse is, lol).  But back in the day, someone would show up with no gift.  This was usually accompanied with a story of upcoming opportunities, expected windfalls, a glowing picture.  Later, I realized that sometimes, people have nothing to give their dear parents but a nice illusion at Christmastime.

caninelover's picture

Yep - there is no shortage of that bullsh*t to go around!!

hereiam's picture

Gifts? Neither of us have EVER gotten a gift (Christmas or otherwise) from my SD30 (been in her life since she was 5). I don't really care about myself and have never expected anything from her, but she could at least get her dad something.

We stopped buying gifts for her several years ago. Frankly, other than DH, I'm been done buying gifts for anybody; I'd rather give the money to charity.

caninelover's picture

Just SO, and my niece and nephew (but they just get gift cards).  SO sends out gift baskets to his mom and siblings but I don't - we just don't exchange gifts between adults in my family (unless we are physically visiting someone over Christmas - like one year we visited my cousins in Maryland so they could meet SO in person - I brought some small gifts for them that year).

advice.only2's picture

Spawn never bought me gifts, but I would get cards from her with Love Spawn written inside.  DH was always so quick to point out...she wrote that herself I didnt have to tell her....umm okay. 

caninelover's picture

For some reason Bratty likes to write out cards in microscopic print.  She thought it was funny but it so freakin' annoying. 

And there was a period where she was trying to suck up to me to get me to let her keep her room here longer where she sent me cards for wierd holidays, like Halloween (does anyone over age 10 send Halloween cards?).  Once she gave me a card on SO's birthday so I wouldn't feel 'left out'.  Um, no - I have a birthday all to myself so I don't need a card for other people's birthdays.  Wierdo.

Stepdrama2020's picture

Bratty and gifts. Let's hope she is maturing.  Wine tasting for one, like who the hell does that? Bratty does LOL thats funny. You should have sent her a recipe guide for Vegan Lite, cause that is what Bratty is. Or gift cards for a local butcher  Wink

My fav gift my ex SD gave me was a mug that had a logo "Resting Grinch Face" which I didnt get. Then my sister told me in the kitchen it was a pun on resting bitch face. Yeah Im slow. Both her and DH laughed and laughed when I opened it.  I "accidently" broke the mug a month later. Memories make my heart sing, NOT!

caninelover's picture

Because, you know, its her and SO's 'tradition' so its ok to not be vegan that day Smile

tog redux's picture

Bratty must be a hit at White Elephant parties! She's got it down to a science.

Last year was the first year in about 7 that SS21 got DH a present: a bottle of rum. Good gift. This year he asked DH what he wanted. So we are making progress!

caninelover's picture

I think no gift is probably better than a case of water LOL.  

If anyone wants an 8-track cassette to CD converter - I can probably get you a screaming deal on it.  Unless SO tossed it already!

caninelover's picture

Is she bought it at a garage sale somewhere. 

She probably thought we're both old so we must have old stuff lying around somewhere!!

CLove's picture

Is not in their family blue print. My boss likes to use that word to describe how children develope from their upbringing.

Husband to me:

Husband bought me a ring with a big glass "stone" in it.

Husband bought me a real ring with diamonds. Next year bought me diamond studs (I suggested)

Skids to me:

ZERO my HERO

Skids to Husband:

Sd22 Feral Forger gave her dad cash to buy a fishing pole. Thats it folks.

Me: Every year Ive taken SD15 out shopping. I always buy various gifts for husband. One year I bought expensve fishing gear, and offered to "share it" with skid. Last year I gave each skid $100 cash.

This year, I just got a gift card for SD15 of $50. I might get a few trinkets for skid and husband. 

caninelover's picture

I would not get a $50 gift card for B/M.  I would maybe get her something from the Dollar Store.  Though I heard their items are going up to $1.25 because of inflation Blum 3

CajunMom's picture

That is some of the most messed up gift ideas I've ever heard!! I actually busted out laughing at some of them, so I can fully understand your position of enjoying NOT getting gifts.

I can't compete with that list. Considering I rarely got a gift.....I do remember getting a religious music CD once (purchased with OUR money), nothing tops that list. LOL

caninelover's picture

I usually just said a polite thank you anyway, because that is how I was raised.  I stopped giving Bratty gifts because she would cop an attitude about whatever I gave her, no matter how large or small.  The final straw was when she whined the summer before graduation about wanting a backpacking backpack.  I bought her a brand new one from REI for her college graduation.  She complained to SO that it was too big, then gave it away to a friend, and also told me she gave it away because she 'wasn't able to move it with her and her friend said he would ship it to her whenever she wanted to use it'.  Right, whatever. 

Never got her a damn thing after that and as far as I'm concerned - my gift to her is not having to buy me a gift.

Cover1W's picture

I must say I am having a hard time remembering what SDs have given me.

Nothing for Mother's Day (HA!) or my birthday.  YSD would make me a B-day card when she was younger but no more.

The most common thing I've received for Xmas in the past several years are hand-made bookmarks (on construction paper, made in a rush on Xmas eve....they only last a month or so but I did use them but now I have a Kindle).  Last year I got an art thing she made when she was in middle school. She must have drug it out of the closet in a desperate search because she cannot ever ask anyone for help with anything, much less decide on gifts for people.

OSD, the last Xmas she was here I think, gave me a new coffee mug. It repaced the one I had that was very pretty and gifted to me by someone from another country and I loved it. She destroyed it by letting it get full of mold and I think she just thew it away. I was Furious and she knew it. That was actually a nice gift, but I know it was like a .99 cent store thing.

caninelover's picture

That would p*as me off.  I have a favorite mug and I get upset if anyone else even uses it.

Cover1W's picture

DH broke my OTHER fave mug.  I was P*ssed at him too!  I finally got my own mug with my name sandblasted onto it. No one has ever used it.  I now, years later, found an appropriate mug to replace the one DH broke (I like s specific tea mug shape and size) and he knows he's never, ever to touch it.

caninelover's picture

Mugs are like toothbrushes - they belong to individuals and you don't just pick up any old one.  We have some generic mugs that we use for guests but otherwise I have my mugs, DH has his mugs.  We don't share LOL.

Ispofacto's picture

The same Summer Killjoy-then12 got into so much trouble, I had to babysit her for a week because DH went on a business trip.

So I took her to the Dollar Tree with me, and she put a candle in my cart.  Naturally, I paid for everything, since she has still never earned any money on her own. 

A few days later, she handed it to me, unwrapped, for my birthday.

Dunno, I guess I'm lucky she remembered it was my birthday?

Last year DH still paid for her ingredients to make bath bombs for her friends for xmas.

I guess that constitutes an effort?

The thing that always bothered me was how she acted like she did it all herself, she was smug, like "see how thoughtful I am?" 

And I'm like, how hard is it to give a gift you got someone else to pay for?  How generous of you!

She literally walks around with her nose in the air.

When DH stopped supporting Satan, Killjoy was all mad about it.  And DH was like, "So you think I should work harder so I can send her money, so she can lay around all day??"

And Killjoy snivelled, "Well yeah, that would be the nice thing to do...."

She's demonstrated zero empathy to people who work for a living, being wasteful AF and inconsiderate of our sleep, etc.

Back before I realized she was a pervert, I wanted her to get a babysitting job, and she raged, "WHY.  WOULD.  I???"

And I was like, why indeed?  Maybe to learn some empathy, and the value of things?

She is now 17.5, has never had a job, plays a very expensive VIP sport, and has use of DH's second car.  Gas, insurance, phone.

But she's so oppressed.

 

caninelover's picture

Thinks of herself as overly considerate when she's actually an entitled self-absorbed brat.

Rumplestiltskin's picture

My SO said his daughters used to rummage through his tool box and pick a tool he hadn't used in a while and wrap it for him as his gift. Precious....

Stepdrama2020's picture

That is flipping hilarious.

Good idea, save money, go through someones drawers wrap up undies and MERRY CHRISTMAS

caninelover's picture

Well at least they wrapped it haha

Winterglow's picture

In one of Caroline Hax's previous Holiday Hootenannies, there was one woman who was given a lump of sweaty cheddar that had been rewrapped as a gift from her mother-in-law. Smile

caninelover's picture

That's just gross!