'Tis the Season... to deal with in laws and bad regifts.

  Well, the holidays are coming up & I can't help but be overjoyed at the anticipation of what re-gift gift I will be getting from my MIL this Christmas. The worst part about all of this is, my in-laws INSIST on going around the room & opening presents one at a time while everyone watches you open your present. I ABSOLUTELY hate this, and have always made it known, but I respectfully participate in thier tradition. 
  I grew up in a home where everyone tore into their presents all at once & if you didn't like the gift you had the chance to quickly slide it to the side & open your next one hoping no one caught a glimpse of your face when you opened it. But no, not here. You have to open it, all eyes on you, waiting to see your reaction. Needless to say I'm still perfecting my, "Oh I REALLY love it," face.

History of bad re-gifts from my MIL are as follows:

Year 1: Jaguar perfume bag (free with purchase of perfume). I never got perfume, only the bag. Still, to this day I wonder where the perfume is, but guess I should consider myself lucky that she was able to grab this out of her closet & hand it to me (unwrapped).

Year 2: Regifted Christmas Kitchen towels, Christmas oven mits, and a Snowman soap dispenser. Something she clearly got as a gift from someone at work. She didn't even bother putting it in a different bag, just took a black sharpie to write my name over hers. Need I say more?

Year 3: It was so bad that I must've blocked this one out because I can't remember.

Year 4: (Best Yet) I opened my Christmas bag from her & to my surprise it was Christmas candle holders, and Christmas nic nacs and decor that I had given her the year before!!!

Years 5 - 8: (by now, her son is my husband and we have 2 kids together) Gifts are on the upside. I've gotten a $20 crockpot or a $20 giftcard, plus the usual re-gift that she gets from work and Christmas nic-nac from her house.

I guess maybe this year I should just find out what day they exchange presents at her work & go up there to pick up my gift from the source. That would really trip her out! Years 1-4 I would always try to buy her something really nice, but I was quick to realize the gifts were unappreciated & joked about. So, I decided to stop wasting my money on something nice. I once bought her some picture frames (to put pictures of her Grandkids in) she threw it to the side & sarcastically said "Great another picture frame." Do you know what the bitch gets in her Christmas bag every year? Yep, you guessed it, a picture frame! :-) Makes me smile everytime I put it in her bag. This year I think I am also going to give back to her the Christmas candle holders and Christmas decor I orignally gave her in year 3,  that she re-gifted to me in year 4, just to see if I get it back next year, or to see if she even notices. I've also got a box of unopened Christmas coffe coffee cups I found when helping my grandmother move earlier this year that I have been waiting to wrap up for her. Maybe I'll go all out & get her some coffee or hot chocolate to go with them. Or better yet, make a homemade cocoa mix in a mason jar with a little added sennoside (ex-lax) for extra flavor and fun!

Right now I have no followers, but if anyone does pass by my post, please comment & leave your re-gift experiences. I would love to hear them!

May 18, 2007

"Riding along the ocean reminds me of you. The wind in my hair, the salty air up my nose, and the sand between my toes. A full moon hanging, casting moonbeams on the waves eternally crashing upon the acient shoreline of my heart. Stars are twinkling like diamonds, and I revert to a favorite childhood time-passer, watching for the stars to fall. I can tell it will not be long now. I will fly away. I will touch the sky and make it rain down rainbows on you just to make you smile so you will remember I care."

My mother, Debra Anne Wilkerson, wrote this & the last sentence brings me much comfort.

1:07 AM

There will be no phone call.
There will be no text.
There will be no voicemail.
There will be no one who says,
"Happy Birthday Babygirl!"
At 1:07 AM
Because this year my mom is in Heaven.