This year is the first Christmas for a lot of newborn babies in our family, so instead of the secret Santa, we agreed JUST to buy things for the kids and NOTHING for each other. We swore that. NOTHING for the grown-ups. So what should recently arrive in my mailbox?

Hard to tell, I know, but they are 4 cats with reindeer antlers. Meant to be hung on the tree.) My first thought was "Aww how CUTE! How sweet!". My second thought was "They do this to me ALL the time!."

We've had years that for whatever reason we've decided not to do "secret Santa" before and EACH time they all give me gifts! How is that fair?! I adhere to the letter of the agreement, which leaves me at a loss when next I see them. When we agree "no gifts", I take this as gospel. I know that as soon as we go secret-less one year and I show up with gifts for THEM they'll be upset with me.

That's not the worst of ideas, really. I wonder why I never just do that and ignore the proclamation from on high the way that they all do. I should, shouldn't I? Especially since this always makes me feel so bad and guilty. I'm not good at breaking rules, if I deem them as rules. I'm not good at going against the grain. It bothers me. I doesn't feel right. Then again, neither do these four cat reindeer on my tree and me showing up empty-handed. I wonder if its too late to boogie over to Amazon... ¶ Anne let this go at 12/14/2003 02:06:00 PM