Gaming became a Christmas tradition

Tomorrow is Christmas. And this year, I’m not counting down the hours until I open my presents.

Earlier this month I rattled off a few household items I could use to both my parents and boyfriend Justin — a better vacuum, a new blender, nicer silverware. All things that would be useful, but none catch the gleam the same as the gifts I asked for as a kid.

Then again, I guess I am pumped to use a vacuum that actually has decent suction so my house isn’t brimming with pet hair. I’m also thrilled to have decent utensils that don’t look like I drove over them with my car.

You know you’ve reached adulthood when these kinds of things excite you.

But it’s different. I’m not rushing downstairs on Christmas morning to rip open a dozen presents wrapped just for me. This year, I’m excited to give gifts.

Maybe that’s also something that comes with adulthood.

I tried to find gifts that best suited each person in the family, but it’s the kids’ presents that are the most fun. Justin’s little sister, 5-year-old Emma, is getting a stuffed animal and some art stencils from us because she loves to draw. And then Justin’s little brothers and my not-so-little brother, Myles, are receiving video games.

Every year I buy Myles something gaming-related for Christmas and his birthday. It would be odd to buy him anything else, honestly, because he’s been a hardcore gamer for at least 10 years.

A wide-eyed Myles told Santa Claus in 2010 he wanted a Nintendo DS Lite for Christmas. And Old Saint Nick delivered. We visited our grandparents that fateful evening, and lo and behold, there was a red and black handheld device waiting for Myles under the tree.

Kris Kringle thought it was “only fair” I got one, too — a shiny pink model.

Third grader Myles was thrilled. But me, a sixth grader who thought I was cool stuff, well, I was less than impressed.

That is, until I plugged in my first cartridge — “Nintendogs.”

The game allowed players to own virtual puppies. You could give them food, water and treats, play, give baths, go on walks and compete in obedience and agility contests.

It was — to put it simply — really cool.

Myles and I quickly became big Nintendo fans. We played games from the “Pokémon,” “The Legend of Zelda” and “Super Mario” franchises, among other titles. It became something we did together on Saturday mornings and lazy summer days.

When I started driving, we took trips to GameStop and local gaming stores for hot deals on new and vintage consoles or cartridges.

When Justin was living in Fort Wayne, he convinced me to get a Playstation 4 and play online with him. While being miles apart, we played titles like “Minecraft,” a sandbox adventure, and “Elder Scrolls Online,” a multiplayer role-playing game. It helped keep us connected despite the distance.

My family played “Animal Crossing: City Folk,” a Nintendo Wii game, after we discovered it in the present pile under the tree. For months, it became a regular conversation subject at the dinner table.

Gaming isn’t about wasting hours in front of a screen. It’s about the experience and who you have that experience with.

And there’s also no feeling like unwrapping a brand new game on Christmas morning and rushing to the television to start playing. It’s like receiving hours of entertainment bundled in a small package.

As an adult, I still love the gaming community, but I’m no longer asking for games from my family. Adults have this incredible resource called paychecks … when they’re not all spent on bills.

Still, I have a feeling Myles will gift me something related to gaming for Christmas. And I know Justin has a copy of the newest “Zelda” game sitting under the tree for me.

It’s our tradition, after all.