Bah humbug!
Posted on | December 23, 2006 |
Category: life
Tags: life
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File this under things I don’t understand.
Buying presents that you know will be hated. Why? Seriously, I need to understand why.
My Grandmother came over, carrying a large box filled with brightly wrapped gifts. As she set the box down the first words out of her mouth was “I know you’ll get mad, but…” I groaned and rolled my eyes as she laughed, the kind of laugh that you might hear from a mad scientist as he points a laser at the hero’s head. Not a good laugh at all.
It really wasn’t too bad, except for the giant, battery operated teddy bear that reads a story loud enough to wake the neighbors. Oh it was cute the first couple of times, but it quickly earned a nickname not suitable for little one’s to hear.
Next came my mother, who echoed the “I know you’ll be mad, but…” A giant, fuzzy, vibrating Elmo chair. What? My head was spinning at the thought of how much she must have spend on this ugly thing, and how we don’t have room in our tiny house for additional crap furniture. She could have bought E blocks, or books, or any of the toys that I’ve let every one for months now he wants and are ok.
Why would anyone choose to buy gifts that they know are not wanted? Why is it funny to waste money? And why can’t gift giving come with an ounce of respect?
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December 23rd, 2006 @ 7:20 pm
Someone in my family finally defined it for all of us, “I guess I just buy what I would want for myself.”
Amazing, huh? How we can make gift-giving selfish! We are a talented people … we humans.
I don’t hunt. My husband doesn’t hunt. But I spent a large amount of time in the hunting section of Wal Mart, asking any man that would listen, “If you were my brother-in-law, what would you like to get for Christmas, in the $10 range?” I got something I would have NEVER thought to pick out, but apparently it’s a very useful thing for those that sit in deer blinds for hours in the freezing cold. I’m glad to know it’ll be useful!!
Vibrating Elmo chair. That’s hysterical. I guess when she’s over to eat next, you can just tell her to pull that sucker up to the table and have a seat - since you don’t have any more room for grown-up furniture!
December 24th, 2006 @ 1:49 am
That is truly obnoxious. My Dad does something of the sort in claiming our kids have too many toys, books, movies, etc. so he puts $25 in a bank account for them. I have tried to explain to him that over the 18 years the children would rather have a gift they could hold occasionally and I would worry about the whopping $450 then. He tried, once, and bought my then seven year old a cupcake pan because she likes to eat them. As you imagine, I told him to just put the $$ in the bank and forget it!
December 27th, 2006 @ 7:57 pm
Ah! A great post. I am glad my son is now 10, we get alot less of those annoying and wildly unwanted gifts - like Tickle Me Elmo. Even the kids don’t want that stuff.
December 30th, 2006 @ 2:54 pm
Ha. We actually remember every song and patter those things grandparents gave them ever said. Like the talking toothbrush that sang “I’m your friend brushy brushy” I’ll stop there. It is really fun to regift them to people who slip up and do crazy things. Like when good friends of ours said “Sorry, our three year old just HAD to buy that toy jackhammer for your son’s birthday.” We dug out the old dancing Christmas bear with lights that grandparents had given us a few years back and made sure she got it for the holidays. Her parents called to thank me…somewhat ruefully.
Kim from RH