My 6-year-old son got a Hot Wheels bike! In a box. Uh-oh.
He also got all the tools one would need, in another box. Yay!
The dad helped, and it was really cool when air was added to the tires, as the Xmas day parking lot was empty and ready for riding and learning.
So, that.
So the folks across the street started a big volleyball game. I went over and asked them if he (my son) could play for a little while. They said yes.
(how’s that for a broken edit?)
fuck all, i give up.
The best present I gave was a couple of kilos of prawns, some lobsters, bread rolls, mayonnaise, and half-a-dozen long necks to the homeless guys that live in the park because Santa should live on for everyone.
My winning present: the complete That 70s Show for my 12-year-old nephew. We are currently on season 6.
The most sentimental was the beach sand snowflake ornaments I gave to my inlaws. They have been vacationing on the same spot on Cape Cod for a million years and it’s a Big Deal in the family. I got each family grouping (i.e., MIL and FIL, BIL and his family, SIL and her family, and my husband and our kids) ornaments that were (allegedly?) made from the sand on the beach that they stay at. That way, everyone has a little piece of the Cape throughout the rest of the year.
I also gave my husband the 3-volume Calvin and Hobbes. That seems to have been a big hit.
The gift that got the most use, at least immediately, was a LEGO guy headlamp, though. I gave one to each of my kids and my son wore his for 3 days straight. We had to sneak into his room and take it off his head while he slept.
I** love** giving gifts. It’s partially what makes winter doldrums bearable for me.
Based on the reaction, the best gift I gave was the set of speaker stands for the new speakers my mom got a few months ago. Even though the bases of the stands sink into the carpet too much for me to run the wire through the stands, she’s still very pleased with them.
Motivated by a couple of SD threads I went to see True Grit at 10:40 a.m. on December 24 and on way in tipped the ticket tearer.
“Are you allowed to accept tips?”
“I wish.”
“Here you go.” ($5)
“Seriously?”
“Merry Christmas.”
I think we both got a kick out of it.
Gave my son 5 pounds of veal. What? Any kid would love to have that!
You have any idea what that costs these days?
Seriously, we gave our 17yo and 13yo their own Ipads with scads of accessories and $200 to itunes.
You have any idea what **THAT **costs today?
I got my husband an iTouch. He longed for one, but thought it was too expensive and no one would even consider getting him one. So I told him it was out of our price range and did this incredible song-and-dance of misdirection and suggested that I was getting him a Furby.
He was actually scared.
And I canvassed my parents for money and we got it for him as a mutual gift.
He hasn’t really put it down since Christmas. I’m so proud. 
I got my wife her first brand new car.
OMG. Please tell me you got a big-ass bow for it! 
My last contract finished in November so it was going to be a bit of a struggle.
But I persuaded some of my friends to cough up some of the filthy lucre and I arranged a party for 200 mentally handicapped kids and young ( and not so young adults) at Elsie Gaches village for abandoned and handicapped kids. Pony rides, inflatables, face painting, dancing, happy meals and give-aways ( including half a metric tonne of rice!!)
My friends are the best!
And the smile on little Mildred’s face ( a Downs baby) says it all
Some great presents all around but I think you win the thread for that one!
Can’t top some of the stories (especially the party for the disabled kids - WTG Santa!!) but…
As background: You know when you get a book as a gift, you read it once, then it sits around gathering dust, or you donate it somewhere and feel guilty because it was a gift after all, and you JUST GAVE AWAY A GIFT?
So, about 8 years ago when we were in the midst of a MASSIVE decluttering fit preparatory to putting our house on the market, and it was Father’s Day and I didn’t want to get something that would have to be stored and then moved, and there was this book coming out that I knew Typo Knig had been wanting to read…
… so I borrowed it from the library, and wrapped it up, and he was delighted. He read it, I returned it, nothing to move. We’ve done this several times since then.
So this fall, Lois McMaster Bujold released a new Miles Vorkosigan book. I put a hold request back in November hoping we’d have it for his birthday. No luck (there were 30+ people ahead of me in line). No luck for Christmas either.
It finally arrived yesterday. I picked it up, and gave it to Typo - who laughed, and said “I put a hold on it for you, just before Christmas!”.
Ooooh, I want to see pictures of this. I love nerdy gifts! Do you have linky goodness?
I bought my mom a Back Roads of Ireland book. It shows pictures and 1-4 day trips of Ireland. Ireland pron for her. She loves it. ( I bought the Backroads of England book for myself.)
I gave my niece some earrings. She made a special call to thank me. That was sweet!
They came in a little turquoise cardboard box.
Would that be a bow that actually goes to the ass of the car, or just a humongous one?