After Thanksgiving dinner, this family will get together again on Christmas day. Nonnie and Papa's four children will bring over their spouses/ dates, children and friends, who otherwise do not have a place to go or things to do on this day. OOPS. I mean we DO treasure the time spent together and share the love and joy of the holiday.

We exchange gifts.

Each one, who would like to come to the party, will bring over a gift of under $25. Then the participants draft over the gifts. This way each one will get a gift without breaking a bank or worrying about giving "wrong presents".

It's been done over the years. It has always worked out well. And you think for some people the older they get, the more acquired social skills they will develope. THINK TWICE! Here is just the opposite...

#1...Nonnie, 85y/o. She picked an envelope, which there were $25 worth of lottery tickets. The SMALLEST size of all gifts.

#2...Papa. 87y/o. He picked a sugar dispenser. The SECOND SMALLEST gift.

#3...Courtney. 12y/o. The step great grand-daughter. The YOUNGEST paricipant. She picked a box of 6pcs pots and pans. The BIGGEST gift.

#4...Jaime, 32 y/o. The grand daughter, the step mother of Courtney, the daughter of D, my hubby. She picked a quesadilla maker. the SECOND BIGGEST gift.

The SECOND BIGGEST of all gifts?!?!

EXCUSE ME? We still have John, 14y/o, Jaime's stepson, cousins Joseph, 22 y/o and Michelle, 20y/o here. And who got the SECOND BIGGEST box of all? A 32 y/o rotten spoiled kid since childhood, then unemployed poor-me daughter living off of dad and his new wife in the basement for the first 6 years into their marriage, now still unemployed pain medication-obsessed drug-seeking hypochondriac housewife, Jaime.

The older you get, the smaller gift you pick? NOT necessarily. Jaime can prove you wrong.