When our niece Molly, who is fourteen now, was about two, we gave her a bouncing Tigger doll for Christmas. While enthusiastic with the idea, my husband later became less than enamored with this gift. After I had already wrapped the box and slipped Tigger under the tree, he started bouncing—and singing. He wasn’t moving very far, but he was making quite a racket. Naturally, the first time Tigger sprang into action was after we’d gone to bed. We heard what sounded like something banging and a music box playing, so we rushed toward the sound to investigate, with John in front and me peeking around from behind him. We spotted the box dancing under the tree.
“The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things,” the box would sing, followed by a giggle.
It was pretty funny, or at least I thought so. But, hubs didn’t seem amused.
“Odd, because toys don’t usually come with batteries included,” he noted.
“This one didn’t either. But I wanted Molly to be able to see Tigger jumping and singing as soon as she opened it, so I put batteries in when I was wrapping it.”
He stared at me for a moment.
“It’s a week until Christmas, you know,” he said.
“Ooh, do you think the batteries might run down before then?”
“I don’t know, but I’d like to sleep before then.”
I grabbed the box and laid it on its side. It went silent. I felt pleased with myself and we went back to bed. Of course, the quiet didn’t last.
The next time it happened, or maybe it was the time after that, hubby leapt up and stormed into the living room. I called out, “If you unwrap it, you have to rewrap it — and be careful with the bow.” I’d used one of those flouncy, curled ribbon kind of bows that I thought was super cute.
In a minute, I heard the back door open. My first thought was if he threw the box in the trash can, I might have to kill him. My second thought was, “Surely he wouldn’t leave me over a little lost sleep, would he?”
I got up to check and heard a car door slam on the carport, followed by the squeak of the back door. Turns out he’d put Tigger into a timeout in the backseat.
“Feel better now, honey?”
“Much,” he said, just before collapsing back into bed.
On Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house, Molly looked absolutely delighted when Tigger started bouncing and singing and giggling. Hubs shot me a knowing smile, and another big grin when Molly toddled over to give us a hug.
Little ones are so much fun to shop for. Maybe because they like stuff that’s more fun than most grown-up gifts. I mean, while we certainly appreciate sweaters and neck ties, it’s just not the same as a Jack-in-the-box, or a Nerf blaster gun or a Nancy Drew video game – all of which we’ve given as Christmas gifts to our nieces and nephews over the years.
When she was six, I gave my niece Madeline an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas because I thought she’d enjoy it and, more importantly, because I had wanted and never received one as a child. Not that I can claim credit really, but as a high school senior now she still enjoys baking. Of course, I also gave her a Nancy Drew starter set, which led to her collecting Nancy Drew books.
I’ll likely get at least one gift card this Christmas. Maybe I should use it to buy myself an Easy Bake Oven or a Nancy Drew video game. But, if my husband buys himself a Nerf blaster gun, he may end up in a timeout.
What about you? What’s the best gift you’ve ever given, or received? Or maybe a gift that seemed great but turned out to be not such a prize? Please share in comments.
Chicks on the Case 
Oh, I can see that Tigger box bouncing around and Hoo-hoo-hooing!
Easy Bake Oven was always wanted by our girls, especially #2 daughter, Jenny. Oh she wanted it so much, every year. I’m not sure, it may still be on her wish list. She’ll turn 38 in March!
If I had a wish list, besides books, I would ask for the 1962 reproduction Barbie House. Have you seen it? A girl’s dream, especially one who loved Barbie!
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Get her the easy bake oven! Go for it!
The dollhouse? Heck yeah!
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Yes to the Barbie Dream House, Deb! Little sister had a Malibu Barbie House as a kid, and I always wanted to live in it!
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I love trying to find a gift no one else will think of. Of course my family never tells me what they want, so it’s a huge guessing game.
Last year I went to one of those name sites and got the history of last names for certain family members.
This year one BFF is getting an autographed picture of Alex Ovechkin holding the Stanley Cup. The other BFF is getting a spiral bound copy of this year’s Nanowrimo attempt, since she’s the basis for the MC.
Best present I ever got? About two years ago, a copy of Julia Child’s The French Chef Cookbook, 14th printing, signed by Paul and Julia, from an estate sale. Guess who got it for me? ME!
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Now, THAT (the signed cookbook) is what I call a great present–even if it did come from yourself.
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Wow, Hestia, a cookbook signed by Julia Child is a huge score! (Okay, Chicks readers, don’t any of you spill the beans to Hestia’s BFFs about their gifts now. Shhh!)
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I think that the gift of your NaNo project is just perfect. How sweet (and a LOT of blood, sweat and tears!).
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Oh my goodness. M laughing so hard at that story! What I want to know is how her parents reacted.
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Mark, my sister and brother-in-law were good sports about the “cool” gifts from us — and they could always take out the batteries and put Tigger in a timeout! (When we gave our nephew the Nerf blaster gun, my SIL did make a rule that he could only play with it outside. LOL!)
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YES! Buy an Easy Bake oven!! It was one of my most cherished gifts as a child, right along with my Barbie townhouse and Ice Bird snow cone maker (which didn’t really work).
I was just lamenting about how my kids have outgrown toy gifts. Thanks for this great post! It was just what I needed! ❤
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Thanks, Kathy! Yay to the Barbie townhouse! I’d be tempted to buy myself an Easy Bake oven if I could spare the counter space. 🙂
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I always wanted one of those Creepy Crawlers bug-maker sets. Oh, and a pony. Alas, I never got either.
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Big maker kit? Ewww! I see enough live bugs.
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They were actually kind of cute–all in pastel colors.
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Oh, Leslie, a bug-maker set sounds fun! I didn’t get the pony either — even though I think he could have been very happy in our subdivision backyard!
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Loved this! It reminded me of when Eliza believed in Santa. I miss those days
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Aw, I agree, Ellen, watching the wee ones light up at Christmas is the best! (But, I still believe in Santa, if anyone feels inclined to leave an Easy Bake Oven at my house) 🙂
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I’m laughing so hard at the image of your wrapped gift bouncing up and down and singing to you! One of my best gifts ever: I have a terrible memory so my husband started writing in a blank book recapping each year so that I could read them later and remember things that would have been lost to the ages. What a treasure!
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Oh, Marla, that’s a brilliant gift! I could try dropping a hint to my husband for a memory book — but he’d never remember. He’s almost as forgetful as I am! 🙂
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I love this story. (We received a firetruck for one of the boys years ago that we had to de-battery because it would randomly run sirens during the night…ha!)
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Hahaha, Cynthia! Noisy gifts are the best! Did he guess what it was? 🙂
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Loved the fun post, Vickie! Guess who else never got an Easy Bake Oven? (And wanted one very, very badly. No wonder I never learned to cook.) No Creepy Crawkers either, or the related Incredible Edibles version, Leslie. My mom’s biggest fear was But You’ll Make a Mess.
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Haha, Lisa, apparently there are a lot of unfulfilled Easy Bake Oven dreams out there! Like your mom, I think mine was worried I’d make a mess, even though I PROMISED I wouldn’t!:)
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Yeah, I think I would have actually preferred the Incredible Edibles, being the food hound I am. My neighbor had the set, though, so I did get to try them. Tasted like fruit-flavored plastic.
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Every year I asked for a pony & a baby sister. Never got either, but I did have an Easy Bake Oven. My brother had the Creepy Crawler maker. Sucker got HOT! But it was fun. And we both liked my light bulb baked cakes!
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Barbara, I’m envying your Easy Bake Oven, just a little — LOL! Sounds like nobody ever got a pony from Santa!! (A little sister was probably beyond Santa’s delivery capabilities!) 🙂
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A puppy???
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Connie, was a puppy the best gift you ever got, or the gift you really, really wanted and never received? Santa seems to be batting zero on ponies, but I know he comes through with puppies, sometimes.:)
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