NaBloPoMo prompt for December 5: What was the first gift you ever made another person?

A paper heart with tissue paper roses (or at least a pathetic attempt at them) when I was in kindergarten. I made it for my father for Father's Day. I always sucked at papercrafts and art-type projects. Show me a performing art, or culinary art, and I could do it. But visual arts? Unless you count photography, I sucked.

And that pathetic paper heart I made my dad? He kept it for at least 20 years. I think that's where I learned my appreciation for gifts, no matter who gave them, or the reason they were given.

NaBloPoMo prompt for December 2: What was the most disappointing gift you received as a child?

This is hard for me to remember. I learned to appreciate gifts early so any gift was a good one. My family was solidly middle class, but I can't remember a Christmas or birthday where I didn't get what I wanted. I kind of remember my sixth birthday was not great, but there was lot going on in my family during that time.

I suppose my 12th birthday - where my gift from my parents was a bedroom redecorated in pink - was rather disappointing. I'm not a pink person, and never have. I spent the summer away from my family, so arriving home to a pink room was definitely not joyful. Another long and interesting story.

NaBloPoMo prompt for December1: What was the first tangible gift you remember receiving?

The first gift I remember was a pair of ballet shoes, bought by my  grandmother. She had also signed me up for ballet class, and I loved it. She even bought me my first tutu. She came to every recital, and often picked me up from class.
 Though I don't dance much anymore, I still love it when I do. Dancing is something that has been part of me for pretty much my entire life. I've learned 4 different forms of dance in my life. It was something in me, something that just flowed from me when the music started. There have been two things I have been able to do for pretty much entire life: cook and dance.

NaBloPoMo prompt: What is the last thing you do before bed?

I am horrible about keeping routines, and even worse about really "getting ready" for bed. I'll be sure to wash my face to get rid of all makeup, moisturize, pull back my hair, plug my phone into the charger....but when it comes to putting on pajamas, shutting down my laptop, or even shutting of my  overhead light, I am not so reliable.

Quite often, I'll put some TV show or movie on my computer to play while I try to get to sleep. I live with two roommates, so having a strong noise to focus my brain on means outside stimuli is likely to keep me awake or even wake me up. I prefer putting something on my computer rather than my actual television, because that automatically stops after a while and I don't want to annoy my roommates or possibly keep them up either.

Maybe as I get older I'll get better about making and keeping a routine.