Ugly Christmas Sweater

Mike refuses to ware sweaters. He doesn't like anything about them. Weather they be sweater vests, cardigans, thick wool ones, or light weight dressy ones, he hates them all. I have tried for 13 years to get him to change his mind about them, with no avail. This is one of many trends he will not be partaking in no matter how hip or cool they are.

Three Christmas's ago we had one of those joking talks about sweaters. I told him that someday Maggie would give him a sweater and he would have to wear it because she gave it to him. We laughed and said he would make sure his kids knew he hated them. That year for Christmas I decided to play a joke on him. I found a very nice and expensive sweater that I knew he would hate. Mike has his colors that he will wear. They do not included light blue (baby blue) or brown and he does not like stripes. So that is what I got him, a light blue and brown striped sweater.
I put it in the biggest box and put from Maggie on it. He was very excited to open this big box that truly was a surprise gift. I with video camera in hand watched as he opened it trying not to laugh and failing miserably. The box was full for packing peanuts so as he started go through them he finds the sweater looks at it and throws it over this shoulder and keeps looking for the gift saying something like I can't find the gift. The video kind of makes you sick to watch it as I was laughing so hard the camera was going up and down. (Maybe I will have to try and down load it). We had a good laugh and Mike refused to put it on. We joked about how it would become a family tradition to get him an ugly sweater for Christmas each year. Low and behold last year another one came to find its way under our tree, and the new family tradition had begun.

This year I put it back way under the chair and we kind of missed it. After Mike was all done with presents he asked "So what, no sweater?". I think he was kind of looking forward to it.

This was this years ugly sweater for 2009.
Mike was a good sport this year and actually put it on.
(The first time I have ever seen him in a sweater - I was so proud)

It was very hard to beat last years and I looked all over finally deciding on this one from Kohl's.
I had to laugh when I took Mike's mom to Kohl's a few days before Christmas as someone had the same sweater sitting on top of their cart. I just laughed and wondered what people were thinking when I bought it. There wasn't much wrong with the sweater, just the color combination and the stripes, but after that what's left?
I can't wait for 10 years down the road to see what the kids pick out for him.

**Now for those of you that like sweaters please don't be offended if you like these sweaters. They are nice, just not for us. No sweaters were harmed in the making of this tradition, just returned for a very quick refund.**