Monday, December 17, 2007

Have you ever peeked?

I was 10 or 11 it was Christmas and the presents were stacking up under the tree. One day the prettiest box showed up and it had my name on it. It was a small box, bigger then a jewelry box but smaller then a shirt box. It was wrapped in bright paper, yellow maybe, with lots of colors. The most beautiful bow was attached. The package was hidden in the back of the tree, but at that time packages were inventoried daily, so of coarse it couldn't stay hidden for long. I looked at that package for what seemed like weeks, shaking it. It didn't make a lot of noise just kind of a swish, it was light and airy. It left me wondering.
Day after day of shaking led me to (subconsciously) plan a way to open it without anyone knowing. By the time I made up my mind to open it, it was already strategically planned out. It had to be, for I had very sneaky parents. I just new the had memorized what tape they used and just how many pieces and god forbid if a ripped something they would for sure know if I had to re-wrapped it.
I knew the fist step would be making sure the tape detached itself perfectly from just the lower layer of paper, so I would be able to use the original piece of tape to repackage it once it was open; and making sure it did not attach it self elsewhere.
The next step would depend greatly on the "wrapper" if the wrapper taped the paper to the box then the I would have to be very careful to peel the tape off both ends of the box and the back where the paper meets. This day I was lucky in that way, I had peeled the first piece is tape so slowly it probably took me hours. When the tape was finally loose, I was able to slide the box out of the paper that was holding it.
I had a plain white miniature shirt box in my hands, the package was soft and filled with tissue paper. I knew tis was going to be good, like jewelry, the stuff that costs some mayor money. Then it came to me, how will I react when I really open it on Christmas day? or how could I handle putting something so great back under the tree once I knew it was there? But I would live with my actions and I moved forward. I pulled the top away to confirm my instincts, the box was full of tissue paper. I knew something expensive was nestled in all that tissue paper, for tissue paper was reserved for special gifts only. As I peeled the tissue back I started to see colors, many colors, rainbow colors. When the gift was finally revealed, I found the box was full of rainbow colored ribbons, attached to a ...
hair clip. It was a filler gift. One of those ones when you childrens number of presents do not total the same.
When Christmas day came, I acted surprised told my mother I loved it, and I probably would have meant it if I had not spent that one afternoon peeking. I never did wear that hair clip.

The moral of this story....My Ladies...I learned from my mother....the good stuff doesn't come out until Christmas Day.

6 comments:

  1. A great story and you did not even blame your sister or brothers! "I didn't want to but they made me do it"! I wonder how many hours parents as well as all gift givers spend in an attmept to hide a gift until Christmas, especially with children! Another very good reason not to shop until Christmas Eve! Right now everyoe is crazy trying to get in some shopping, running from store to store, I still have seven days before I even have to start!

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  2. I never went beyond shaking a package and guessing. My sister found the loot one year though and told us. I remember it being a letdown Christmas.

    I just Gift Cards now.

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  3. Now this instance was in Homer...when Shane and Shana ruined Christmas in Anchorage I was FORCED so I wold not tell.

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  4. Hey I remember that hair ribbon. I don't waste time hiding gifts...I buy them and leave them elsewhere...works every year. Or I am a lot like my father...and Christmas Eve shopping works too...less to chose from.

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  5. Have not needed to peak in years...no one keeps a secret around here.

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  6. Ok so I had to take my time and remember when...I was 6 or 7 at the time. My brother said hey lets look for our presents. I was just glad he wanted to do something with me, you know. So we set out looking, we were in my dad's room, and we found some they were skies cross country one set for all of us. I think my brother was disappointed. The only other time I can remember peeking, I was 11 or 12, I lived with my mom at this time. I roped my sis to help out with this one, she probably felt the same way I did with my brother, we only found trunks, with pictures on them. They weren't hidden very well. Just goes to show you dont find the good stuff!!

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