At first

we weren't going to exchange gifts. Then we decided -- OK, one. Only ONE. Eugenio broke the rule and has two presents under the tree for me. I've been telling everyone -- when asked, not willy-nilly -- I'm getting a web cam for Christmas, because that's what I want and what I've been not even subtly hinting at for months. Eugenio, laughing out loud, informed me during a guess-the-present talk that neither box contains a web cam.

"Why do you even want a web cam?" he asks, in a tone that suggest my request is a joke, which it is not. So I can start my amateur porn site, duh. And also so I can video chat with "friends and family."


It seems I may be buying myself the web cam, which is fine. It's not like I want a smartphone or an e-Reader or anything modern but monetarily unattainable to my broke ass. I just want a cheap camera to attach to my laptop. I wouldn't even want a good one if it were possible because the good ones might be better at picking up details, and I just want people to get a blurry gist of what I look like. I figured a gift exchange between adults is more or less an exchange of To-Dos. To prove our love this holiday season, you go get me this, while I go get you that. But I like Eugenio's style: Surprise! I didn't run your errand, but I got you something from the heart. He always has to be the genuinely nice guy. It's annoying.

Perhaps I can do as my niece did. Last time we were in San Antonio, Eugenio and I took her to Target with us after dinner. She ran ahead and when we caught up to her, we found her in an aisle staring at web cams, eyes darting pensively from one to the other.

"I'm saving my money for one of these," she said. "My friend has one."

"Well, which one do you want? We'll get it for you," Eugenio replied.

"No. I'll get in trouble. My mom will probably think I asked you to buy it for me."

After assuaging her fears, we walked out of the store with the new ticket to tween social networking. Britney knows her mother's faith in her well. "Britney Amber!" she middle-name admonished, discovering her daughters new toy. We felt a bit guilty for not asking Mom -- perhaps parents would prefer to consent to a web cam first -- but what are aunts and uncles for if not to buy love? Now the new family joke is to take Eugenio to the store with you, casually mentioning you're saving your money while looking longingly at the object of your desire. I think I got my idea about a web cam being the one-thing-I-really-want from this situation, anyway. When I was little, I wanted a Power Wheel so badly; I fantasized driving it out of the drive way, top down, hair blowing in the wind, sporting my new shades. It proved a melodramatic story of unrequited love, as material desires often are. Then, many many years later my mom straight up bought Britney, her only grandkid at the time, a Power Wheel for Christmas and she DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR IT. It's like my niece is the cool kid I never was nor ever will be, though I'll try. Oh, you have a web cam? Me too. NBD. But I digress...

Really, I'm almost giddy like a child about my surprise gifts from Neno. He's the sweetest. I do like a surprise. I always feel sentimental around this time of year remembering my mom and how she always made Christmas magical for her seven kids. I wrote an essay about it; I may post later.