Chicken & Tomatoes???

My parents and younger sister Jess came over a couple nights ago for dinner and to exchange Christmas gifts with us. My sister who is almost 20 and in school in Pittsburgh got creative with her gifts to my children but her unique idea wasn't exactly received well by them.

See, she was trying to give them something useful and she knew two things, #1 I make a lot of vegetarian meals (simply cuz I don't like meat) and our son loves meat so she got him a roasted chicken. #2 She knew that our daughter's favorite food of all time is cherry tomatoes so she got her those. Jess had wrapped them in Christmas wrapping paper and everything....

Our son opened his first. He teared the paper with fiery and then stopped and stared. One eyebrow went up. His eyes got wide and very slowly he said "Th....ank....You....?" I just about died laughing! It was adorable to watch my son try to be polite when his face clearly said "why did she give me a chicken?"

So at the same time our daughter is unwrapping her gift and when she gets it opened she just stares at it and looks like she's gonna cry. (She's much more sensitive). I am again cracking up.

Jess is saying stuff like "I'm sorry guys. I thought you'd like it. I thought it was a good idea." While Mom, Dad, Rob, and I are snickering and reassuring her that it was a good idea.

Our son still phased a little immediately moves on to his second gift (this one from my Mom) but when he opens that he says exacerbated "What's the heck?!!" You see, he had told her a month earlier that his sister never let him play with her as she played "my little ponies" so he requested a boy pony for himself. Well she looked and looked and looked and the best she could find was a blue pony with pink and yellow hair. So after opening chicken he next opens a pony with pink hair and, as I said, exclaims "What's the heck?!" Too Funny! All of the adults were laughing so hard! I couldn't breath! We had to do some quick damage control with the unamused children.

Mom and Jess, a valiant effort!

(And BTW - he thoroughly enjoyed the chicken the next day and she downed 2/3 of her tomatoes before they even left that night. And the pony... well it has been in his hands wherever we go!)