For a while now, I’ve been working on this post where I talk about all the great gifts Sir Monkeypants has given me over the years. Naturally, there’s the obvious ones — three kick-ass kids and an awesome, crime-fighting minivan in which to cart them around. I’m talking about the little things, though, the things that were just for me, to make me happy.

For example, there’s that time he bought me a whole box of blue Papermate clicky pens. I hate pens with caps — annoying things that always get lost. I’m all about the click. Papermate blues are perfectly comfy in your hand — not too hard, not too soft — and they write so smoothly, with an easy flow that brings me joy. Sir Monkeypants bought me a whole box full about 15 years ago, and it was seriously one of the sweetest, most thoughtful things I’ve ever received. Only someone who really knew me well would have been able to pick out the perfect pen.

I pulled the last pen from the box about three months ago. Just a hint. Christmas is coming!

Then there was the time when I had a dream about all my friends shopping with me in a bookstore, and eventually I got tired of shopping and took the escalator up, and there was Sir Monkeypants standing there waiting for me, with a bunch of white balloons. I was so happy to see him. Months later, remembered this dream and gave me white balloons on my birthday. Pretty much the most romantic thing that ever happened to me, right there.

Oh, and last year, for Mother’s Day? A license for my favourite text editor, TextPad, which I have been using in demo mode for about 10 years now. No more giant warning on startup! I can just leap right into typing! Now that’s love.

This past weekend, though, Sir Monkeypants totally outdid himself. Know what I got? Just for being a cool mom, and working hard around here, and working the crockpot twice weekly?

A shiny new laptop. All my own. Sir Monkeypants pointed out this is the second computer I have ever owned in my lifetime — the first being the XT my mom bought me when I was in grade 12 so I could chat online with my Shad friends, but that’s a story for another day.

This new laptop (a Sony VAIO — my own choice) is for me to write. To work on my writing, wherever I want, whenever I want. To have a special place to keep the stuff I’m working on.

(Also…to run Windows, as Sir Monkeypants has changed our home machine over to Linux, which is fine, but it does not support TextPad. And I have a paid license burning a hole in my pocket, dammit!)

The laptop is cool and everything but what really moves me is what it represents. Not just that wanted to get me something to say thanks for the work I do around here, which is totally awesome in and of itself. But also, the fact that he sees that I’m into writing, that it’s a thing I love to do that makes me happy, and he wants to support that. That he thinks it’s a good enough hobby (and maybe someday, career?) that it’s worthy of hardware to back it up. That it’s important for me to have something for me, something that’s about TurtleHead and not just about Mommy.

I feel so loved. Definitely the best present ever.