so yeah...our family always ends up doing Christmas late. Why, you ask, when YOU are the most organized Christopher Robin on the planet? Because I HATE it. My sister's is mainly delayed due to her. Christmas with the Drama Queen I hate. I'm a horrid daughter. it's her birthday and here I am writing a horrid blog about her. Bully for me.
So, last year, Sis and I decided to do homemade Christmas. We decided to include my mom this year. She started sewing in April. APRIL. You have to understand last year, Sis and I exchanged certificates for favors and cookies and yes, even WoW videos. Sewing to this magnitude was just insane.
So the day comes. We can't avoid it. The Master and I planned it so we could have the least amount of time there. We were picking up the munchkins from them spending a weekend there. We are thinking 20 min, 30 MAX. We arrive and she already has the gifts out and ready. She made us all robes. THIS was the good gift. Robes...big and warm...goodness.
I open the next gift and buried in the tissue paper is something that looks pink. Those of you who know me would know that I AM NOT a pink kind of girl. Hell, Sleepe, who I only know through WoW said the same thing. I scream anti-pink.
I unfold a pair of pink pajama pants that are covered in little cartoon type faeries. I kinda stopped and stared at them, waiting for the "ha ha, isn't that funny" joke gift. But no...not a joke at all. She actually made me pink fairy pajama pants. I said thanks and set them aside.
She starts in on me on if I like them and will I wear them. Those of you that also know me know that I get a monthly allotment of Tact. This, being the end of December, the Tact Bank is empty. I try and be nice and noncommittal and she pushes. I finally say "um...no. I won't wear them." to which she responds, "but no one has to see you." to which, I think I raised my voice here "*I* have to see me!"
I think it got put aside and I choose to open the next gift. It happens to be a purse (and yes, you can scroll down for the picture). This is an extremely ugly purse. I found out later that it was a kit. Someone purposefully put these materials together to intend to make them combined into something someone would actually use. Her comment on it "well its blue...you like blue."
So, last year, Sis and I decided to do homemade Christmas. We decided to include my mom this year. She started sewing in April. APRIL. You have to understand last year, Sis and I exchanged certificates for favors and cookies and yes, even WoW videos. Sewing to this magnitude was just insane.
So the day comes. We can't avoid it. The Master and I planned it so we could have the least amount of time there. We were picking up the munchkins from them spending a weekend there. We are thinking 20 min, 30 MAX. We arrive and she already has the gifts out and ready. She made us all robes. THIS was the good gift. Robes...big and warm...goodness.
I open the next gift and buried in the tissue paper is something that looks pink. Those of you who know me would know that I AM NOT a pink kind of girl. Hell, Sleepe, who I only know through WoW said the same thing. I scream anti-pink.
I unfold a pair of pink pajama pants that are covered in little cartoon type faeries. I kinda stopped and stared at them, waiting for the "ha ha, isn't that funny" joke gift. But no...not a joke at all. She actually made me pink fairy pajama pants. I said thanks and set them aside.
She starts in on me on if I like them and will I wear them. Those of you that also know me know that I get a monthly allotment of Tact. This, being the end of December, the Tact Bank is empty. I try and be nice and noncommittal and she pushes. I finally say "um...no. I won't wear them." to which she responds, "but no one has to see you." to which, I think I raised my voice here "*I* have to see me!"
I think it got put aside and I choose to open the next gift. It happens to be a purse (and yes, you can scroll down for the picture). This is an extremely ugly purse. I found out later that it was a kit. Someone purposefully put these materials together to intend to make them combined into something someone would actually use. Her comment on it "well its blue...you like blue."
Yeah....riiiiight.
I thanked her for the time spent making it, changed the subject and beat feet. 20 min stay.
week and a half later I do Christmas with my sister. She informs me that my mother may never speak to me again!?! My first thought "Wewt!" My second thought I voiced. it was "why?" She proceeds to explain that she is mad that I don't like her gifts. Because I should love a butt ugly purse and pink pajama pants (which i give to my Sis and she now has a matching pair...).
To make an already long story shorter, she contacts my mom and after some "she said/she said." I'm allowed to call my mom on her birthday (yes, I said allowed) if I really do appreciate the work it took to make it. I grit my teeth and grumble something about not knowing her own damn daughter. I agree to call her. Thinking she will just sweep it under the carpet and let it go.
Silly me!
She launches into "are we going to talk about Christmas?" I inwardly groan and say "yeah, but not today." This phone call I'm not looking forward too. The question I pose to you, dear readers (should there be any left reading at the end of this), is Do I waste tact from the tact bank and just suck it up? or do I speak my mind and stand firm in my appreciation of her presents but that i hate the fact that she never gives me anything that is ME. that I would like?
If you want to leave your comments with my Secretary, she will be happy to file them in order for my perusal hopefully before she calls back.
2 comments:
Gifts should be something you want to give AND something you believe the person would WANT to receive - NOT what you want to force upon them. The woman has known you all your life. She should know you don't do pink. People who don't know you as well and she should know you don't do pink. How can she not know this?
I say stand firm on your appreciation of the time she spent crafting the gift and leave it at that. After all, you may actually need the huge amount you'd be withdrawing from the Tact Bank for something more important.
I wanna see a picture of you in the pink pajama pants. I mean, how can you expect me to give useful, relevant advice without a picture? ;)
I'm sorry my Piglet method didn't work on the phone. Sadly, Piglet methods of hiding under the bed rarely solve problems.
I think you should decide what you think might be the best possible, yet still realistic outcome, of this phone call. Do stress that you did thank her for all the gifts and that you specifically thanked her for the time she spent making them. Stress that first. And last. And lots of times in between.
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