When I was talking to the Present Professor (an excellent place to find the perfect gift for those hard to buy for people) about the perfect or most disasterous gift I received, I knew that I had to make an entry.

What is the best Christmas present ever given to me? Well, I thought about my Uggs that were given to me a couple years back. I never asked for them but, I love them. (the best kind of suprise from a husband) I thought about my roller blades, the coolest thing in the world, from my parents. Then I thought that the worst gift, by far, was from my parents and I had to blog about it. Considering that this blog is about motherhood and family, it seemed fitting this entry be included in the archives.

It was a cold Christmas. Just as any other in Cape May County. I had a thing for Christmases, after all I was a kid. Except this one was different. Until the Christmas of 1984, I was an only child. That lasted a grand total of 3 years. This Christmas, the present I was going to get was a baby sibling. The world around me was going to change. I was no longer going to be the center of attention. Yeah, Merry Christmas to me. To make matters worse, out of all the options, it was a boy. I got a baby brother. They couldn't even give me a sister. What kind of parents where they anyway???? Geessss.

My mother went into labor on Christmas Eve and she gave birth to my baby brother. Really, it was nice for them to give this present to me early. I don't remember that much of the day. I remember celebrating Christmas at the hospital. I remember wearing a red poka dot dress and looking into the nursery window at Burdette(remember when it was called that?) I remember thinking all of the babies kinda looked the same. How did my parents know difference? Were they really sure it was him and he was, for sure, a boy? Anyway, I was thinking that the best thing was to leave him there and just go back to opening the presents.

Ok, I wasn't really thinking that. I am totally just teasing my brother through my blog. I love him and hands down he was the best present I ever got for Christmas. Even though I don't want to admit it. He was soooooooo cute. I loved him, and I still do. (ok, I truly believe that my brother has stopped reading because of total humiliation) I have however learned to love him more and more as we have gotten older.

At first he was fun because he was a little baby. Who doesn't like babies and toddlers? He was like a real life doll. My mom wouldn't let me dress him though. (Total bummer)

Then he was fun because he was so darn easy to pick on. Ohhhh, That poor kid. I was so hard on him. Including the time I put a baby monitor in his room and listened to him and his friends talking. (ohhhh shoot, I don't think he ever figured that one out) I beat him up when he was little. Now, he towers over me at 6 foot something and is a Marine. I promise he is a force to be reckoned with.

Then he was fun because he protected me from stupid boyfriends that broke my heart. He even gave my husband a piece of his mind when we were dating.

My brother was/is great. Hands down, he was/is the best Christmas present I ever got. (but just between you and me, he had his "worst" moments too)

P.S. I am so thankful that he doesn't have a blog to blast me!!!! If he hears about this one that might change. (yikes)