The saddest Christmas ever was two years ago… (Notice I’m saying sad, not tragic. I mean sad in a pathetic, what-kind-of-sorry-excuse-for-a-parent are you? way.)

So SD then 11, usually would split holidays, ½ a day with BM, ½ a day with us. Sometimes BM would let her stay the whole holiday with us, b/c she “wouldn’t have anything going on”, meaning no presents, or holiday meal planned. That year, when SD came to us around noon, she immediately went upstairs without looking at her presents under the tree, put on her pjs, and recreated the morning run down the stairs. She opened her presents, and we had a nice day. I usually do Christmas at our house with my parents, PILs, sister and her DH. That night probably around 7:30, my DH told me that all SD and her brother (BM’s son-how do we abbreviate ½ siblings on BM’s side?) had received were a $20 bill in their stockings. Her brother was only 7. The excuse he was told was Santa couldn’t come because it was raining. What sorry sacks of feces! They had $40, they could have bought several presents! But they were too lazy to get off their couches, put down the bottle, and go to the store. So DH (at my insistence) went to Walgreens and bought a bunch of little presents, we wrapped them, and he took them, over 1 ½ hour round trip on Christmas evening, left them at their door and rang the doorbell. All of the presents said from Santa, so hopefully he didn’t feel too forgotten. We have bought presents for him every year since-I’m sure they love that, and look at it as one less thing they have to do because they can depend on someone else to do it for them. But I just couldn’t sleep if I knew he wouldn’t have at least a few presents to open on Christmas day. They also don’t get birthday presents. They are always promised a “shopping trip”, but it never happens. Of course they have no problems buying booze, cigarettes and violent video games for SF (which SD now 13 loves to play too). They don't do Halloween or 4th of July-both virtually free, but have insisted some years that SD spend with them. Why???????????

Sorry, worthless, feces.