Best gift EVER!

I was thinking about the best gift I've ever received. I'm fortunate; I've received a lot of good gifts. But the best was probably the desk I got when I was 10. I had wanted my own desk for soooooooo long, and never thought that my parents could afford it. My parents made me believe that it just wasn't a possibility. I gave up hope. 

Then, Christmas Eve, it was snowing, but my uncle Tony showed up with his truck, and he and my dad started hauling a piece of furniture into the house. I was totally confused because we were supposed to be eating dinner and opening gifts. Why was Tony there and why were they unloading stuff? Then my dad uncovered the desk and for a moment I was sad, because I thought it was for my mom. She didn't even want a desk! Then my dad said it was for me. I was still doubtful. He insisted. Once they put it up in my bedroom, I started to believe. I spent the entire night opening and closing drawers, figuring out where each pencil and piece of paper I owned would go. I couldn't imagine ever having enough to fill all the drawers. I carved my name into a tiny corner of the desk, so I could be sure it was mine, and could never go back to the store. I can still remember, so vividly, what it felt like to know that desk was all mine. 

I still have the desk in my bedroom and still use it. I should probably invest in something a little bigger, to accommodate a laptop and monitor, but I can't imagine getting rid of my desk. I don't think anyone would ever call me sappy, but I guess there are a few things I'm sentimental about. 

Next best gift? Probably the sleeping bag that looked like blue jeans. My brother and I used to "camp out" on our living room floor sometimes, especially when we had a babysitter. One time, when we were about 6 and 8, my older cousin, Nancy, was babysitting. My brother was kind of a control freak and had to have his sleeping bag just right. No corner un-straightened. He'd crawl all over the bag, smoothing down wrinkles until it was just right, then he'd very gingerly climb in. 

So Nancy would flip up a corner. 

Chris would huff and make a huge deal of climbing out of the bag, crawl to the corner and begin his process of smoothing out the sleeping bag.

Once he was ensconced inside, Nancy would flip up another corner. 

Chris would scowl and sigh and crawl out again and make a big production of making it just perfect. Then he'd eye her carefully as he crawled inside.

She did it one more times, and Chris was about to completely lose his shit. We were trying not to laugh. She stopped because he looked like he was about to cry. Chris, you were such a huge OCD baby. 

[If you look really closely, you can see "Kim" carved in the corner.]