'tis the season of giving (day 23)

Last year at this time I was home on maternity leave, a time I like to refer to as "The Most Awesomest Four Months Ever".

While home, I was able to faithfully watch ellen every day. And, being the holiday season, I watched with envy as she gave away a gazillion dollars of cool stuff during her 12 Days of Giveaways.

Ellen and her 12 Days of Giveaways hold a very special place in my heart.

In 2004, I was also home watching ellen, in what was probably the first year she did her 12 Days of Giveaways. I had just undergone surgery for my cancer, and I was home recuperating. 
(I celebrated 10 years cancer-free last year, you can read about it here). 

My mother had come up and was spending my first week home from the hospital with me and Mr. KK. 

It was a rare moment in my adult life, that I spent a full week with my mother, when we weren't on a vacation. Instead, she was taking care of me.

Watching ellen with her giveaways was part of our daily routine.

We'd snack on crackers with peanut butter and tea as we watched ellen reveal gift after gift; Me, lying on the couch that had become my home, and my mother sitting in the other other chair we had in our small living room in our little row house in South Boston. 

She and I watched in awe as ellen gave away prizes every day, like washers and dryers and Dyson vacuum cleaners (these were the early days, before the gifts were digital or gift cards). There was a secondary chance to win the prizes online, and I entered us both every day. (We never won).

For a few years after that, I would enter our names online to win the gifts Ellen was giving away. But when you work full-time you tend to miss daytime talk shows and I never remembered to keep up with it.

And then last year, I found myself home again, watching Ellen and her amazing giveaways. And, on at least one of the days, my mother was there watching with me, holding Max while he slept. And once again, I entered us online for a chance to win everyone. (We never won).

And today starts this year's 12 Days Of Giveaways on ellen!

I'll be watching Ellen do her giveaways every day on her Facebook page, remembering that time 11 years ago, when my mother and I were watching for the first time...together.

And Ellen – if you're reading this – we'd LOVE to be part of your 12 Days shows. Just sayin' :)