I think I need a Christmas mental makeover-

[katiesue]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Okay, here's how cheap a$s my mom is:
When I was 20, she bought me a Fossil watch for Christmas and mailed it to me (I was in college). A month later, it broke. I was bummed. So she said to mail it back. After that, I kinda forgot about the watch.
On my birthday, in March, my mom mailed the fixed watch to me with a note attached to it: "Happy Birthday".
That was it. No other present that year. She exchanged it for one that worked and now it was my birthday present, too.
Cheap dinglecheese.

I got a 35mm camera for my 16th Birthday, which was also my Christmas present, and my next years birthday present. Top that

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by katiesue

I got a 35mm camera for my 16th Birthday, which was also my Christmas present, and my next years birthday present. Top that

You win.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

You win.

Here are all the gifts I've ever gotten from my parents:

* a very small teddy bear when I was five at a "report card party"
* a tiny Ernie doll that my dad brought back when he went out of town
* a dog from my dad (ok, that was really cool) when I was eight
* I got to pick out a toy at a toy store once, I didn't want to take too much, so I picked out another small bear
* a doll at another report card party
* The board game Huggermugger from my dad when I was twelve (that game rocks!
* a bracelet from my mom when I graduated high school and a watch from my dad
* $100 worth of flowers for my wedding from my dad
* $50 for my wedding from my mom
* a talking picture frame for my fourth anniversary from my mom

I am not kidding you, that is every gift I've ever gotten from my parents in my entire life. And though we weren't rich, it wasn't really because we were poor. It was because my parents spent all their money on a dysfunctional money war. My dad bought a motorcycle without telling my mom, so she had to have a horse, he spent a ton of money on show pigeons and model airplanes (the kind you fly), so my mom had to have Bonsai and antique musical instruments, my dad spent $3500 on an early computer, etc... Though I will say that a good side of that is that I don't have any interest in getting gifts for special occassions unless they are inspired. And I have no sense of obligatory gift giving.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

* a dog from my dad (ok, that was really cool) when I was eight.

Okay, I have a hideous story to tell. You know, since we're kinda dredging up the family angst.


When I was 6, my dad called me from work and told me that he bought me a dog for my birthday. I was thrilled. I started making a bed for him and getting bowls together for his food and water... My dad shows up with a ceramic bloodhound statue. It was to be used as a doorstop.

I was devistated. He thought it was funny. I did not.