Toss-up between a china tea set and a chemistry set, given to me by my parents for Christmas when I was nine, I think. The tea set was really pretty: English china with hand-painted roses, even a cream pitcher and sugar bowl.
The chem set was cool too, with a real mini-microscope and slides and test tubes and assorted junk to make different liquids turn funky colors. I used to wear one of my mother’s old lab coats when I played with it.
I still have the tea set somewhere, but the chem set is down the road.
In 1978, as winter reluctantly turned to spring, we had an ice storm that lasted a few days and knocked out the power. We had to cook some of our food in the fireplace, and slept in front of it on the living room floor. We had this coffee table that was basically a metal “X” with a thick square of glass for a tabletop. I slept under that as I was short enough to fit. I woke up on Easter morning (this was back when my family celebrated the secular aspects of Easter), and saw this brown furry thing sitting on the glass above me. I got out from under the table and there was my very own snuffleupagus!
Snuffy is my favorite stuffed animal - the one I slept with and took in the car on vacation. I simply couldn’t bear to sleep without him as he kept the ghosts away. He’s sitting a few feet away on my dresser as I type this - he’s the only stuffed animal I brought with me when I left home. Even though I’m 29, I still bring him to bed with me when I’m feeling anxious and can’t sleep. Everyone should have a Snuffy or his equivalent.
My other best present ever would have to be the prints my brother got me for Christmas a few years ago. There were three pictures from Janell Cannon’s book Verdi that I desperately wanted and he had them framed for me. (They’re hanging above my computer right now.) Thanks bro!
When I was 5 my parents gave me a Barbie Townhouse for Christmas. It was so totally cool (until my little brother sat on it and broke it that afternoon.)
As an adult, my wonderful parents gave me a trip to Italy to backpack with my brother (who was living there) for three weeks. They thought it would be a bonding experience for us. I had a great time, though we’re really not any closer now.
When we were kids, we got a Beatle album every Christmas from Meet the Beatles to Abby Road. That was always a thrill.
As an adult, I must say my husband gave me an awesome birthday present…a hot air balloon ride. It was so surreal to just float up in the sky. Hubby and my son tracked the balloon for about 25 miles, where we had to crash land in a horse track due to darkness. It was the best!
I remember being thrilled with my first bicycle which I got when I was 7. It was a cheesy Sears baby-blue girls bike with ape-hanger bars, chainguard, and banana seat, and so it was slightly embarassing (tom-boy) but I still was delighted and I found later that I could jump it farther than most of the boys’ BMX bikes (lighter?). It was Christmas in Juneau, Alaska and I was impatient-- I had never ridden a bike before-- so for three months I would pedal on one crank-side once and coast trying to balance across our bedroom until I hit the far wall. That is the one present that really stood out.
As an adult, a couple of older chums in Portland last year sent me the “Dr Caligari action figure.” Complete with German Expressionist display stand. He opens up “to reveal a straightjacket of nightmarish demons.” Pretty dang cool.
On my twelfth birthday (hey it’s a holiday to me) my dad gave me an old Mickey Mouse pocket watch that he was given when he was 12. I am the middle son in a family of four and even then I was touched that it was given to me. It is wound and ticking with the correct time even as we speak.
As a kid, we would go to my aunt’s house for Christmas. She also had a daughter who was about 5 years older than me and fairly spoiled. When I ws maybe 8 or 9 I wandered away from the main crowd (big family) of gift exchanging and sat kind of behind the tree, where I found a large glass aquarium with a guinea pig inside.She was obviously a present for my cousin, but I could probably play with her for a few minutes before anyone noticed and annouced my cousin’s present. About ten minutes later my dad came and found me. “Oh, you found your Christmas present!” I was deleriously happy for the rest of the day. I still miss Rachel sometimes…
As for recent presents, my boyfriend gave me my Christmas present early yesterday. A jigsaw. He’s the best.
Ohhhhhhhhh!:mad: This one hurts!
when I was an older kid (about 12) I wanted a Lionel train more than anything. I talked about it for months prior to my birthday. Then, on birthday morning, I awoke to a large gift wrapped box. Absolutely certain it was a Lionel train set, I ripped the wrapping off with much glee. Only to find it was…
PONG!
Yes: PONG! And to make matters worse: they paid more for that Pong game than the Lionel train set cost! and I never, ever, NEVER made any mention to wanting a god damn Pong game!
But years prior to that they got me a great gift: Hoppity Hop And one of the best birthday gifts a kid could get in the 60’s: Krazy Kar that thing was a blast!
Quite recently my wife bought me a great gift: pair of family radios I love them.
My wrists were hurting from all the typing I do, and my girlfriend bought me one of those Natrural Keyboards (split in the middle, keys are angled to leave your wrist happy). I sat there with it in my lap and almost cried, it was so thoughtful.
As a kid, it was my first bike, Max (yes, I named it). Hours and hours and hours of fun - loved it.
I think it was a Christmas present before I was ten years old. There were six kids in the family and my mom didn’t work, so money was tight. Besides the obligatory socks, underwear, and new flannel nightgown, I got a Spirograph. There were several round plastic disks that had holes in them. You put a colored pen in one of the holes and ran the disks around a piece of paper to make designs on. Needless to say, pieces were lost and the game was thrown away. I found another one at the local thrift store and I’m happily reliving my childhood.
CHristmas 1989. My sister gave me a kitten for Christmas. I don’t normally think giving live animals as presents is a good idea, but I had lost my kitten Kelsey to a car that fall, and Bo was what I needed to get over the grief. I still have Bo, he is 13, and the best cat in the world.
