The (Not-So) Multi-Purpose Gift

Last year, As I was getting ready for work the morning of my birthday, Itchy bounces into the bedroom with a plastic grocery bag and something bobbling around in it.

"Hey mom!" (All conversations start this way)  "Here you go!"

"What is THIS?"  I might have been playing it up a little too much.  but hey, that's my job.

"Your birthday present.  I made it myself just for you!" 
Homemade presents tend to be double-edged swords. they're either beautiful, thoughtful and something I will keep forever.  Or ... something more like this.

I open my gift bag and see:  an empty oatmeal can covered in loads of bright, colorful sticky foam flowers, a cereal box? glued to the bottom, twine looped though it for a kind-of handle and a cat toy (at least it looks like a cat toy) inside.

"WOW!  I love it!  You worked really hard on this!"  I totally deserve an Academy Award for this.

"Thanks mom!  The nail scratched it a little here and that part was hard" Visions of my 7 year-old using a hammer and nail on an oatmeal can flashing through my mind.  Ohno Ohno Ohno.  Breathe... "Happy birthday mom!"

"Umm... can you explain it to me?  What is it?"

Absolutely straight faced - "I don't know."  pause ...  he looks at the gift thoughtfully - like this was the first time he had ever seen it.  "You can hang it, but the handles are too short.  Or you can put stuff into it, I guess.  I really don't know what it's for."

"You put a lot of thought into this."  At least he thought about making me something.  He is so happy to make me happy.

Proudly - "Yup" Damn, my kid is cute.  Moments like this make parenting worth it.

"It's perfect!  I love it! Thanks!" Red carpet, here I come.

He bounces out of the room all smiles and full of happiness because he made me happy.

I quickly send a pic to my BFF to share this parenting moment.  The text conversation went like this:

BFF: What is it?

Me: No clue.  There is an (old) cat toy inside.  It means a lot to him and he put love into it and that's what matters to me.

BFF: Absolutely.  I guess my brain goes, "he gave it to me, so I should use it.  Wait, how do I use it?"

Me: default answer = decoration

BFF: that makes sense

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I have a lovely decorative container, hangy-thingy made with love and care by my darling 7 year old boy.

It's a step up from Mother's Day 2010 - I received an abstract sculpture snowman/snowball/log that was carefully? crafted out of white clay and fired with a tan glaze.  The result - a ceramic sculpture that looks like poop.  Literally.  White(ish) ceramic poop.