Thursday, December 23, 2010

It's a Wrap. Sort of.


For some people the holidays are a particularly stressful time of year.  In at least one aspect, I am one of those people. 

Is it financial concerns?  Thankfully no.  We are much better off this year than we were a year ago.  Stress from all the preparations?  Not really, It has actually been fun to decorate the house and put up the lights and tree with Lukas.  It has been equally as fun to make and deliver goodies to friends, neighbors, and family.  Not to mention getting to visit Rocket Santa and his spaceship sleigh at the top of Seattle's Space Needle last week.

The lack of daylight?  The rampant consumerism surrounding the holiday?  Nope. Sure, these are not my favorite aspects of this time of year, but I'm actually a pretty laid back guy so they don't stress me out.

So what is it that stress's me out?  Wrapping gifts, of course.

Now, I really can't complain since Mrs. LIAYF is a such a peach.  She, of course, wraps 90 percent of the gifts we give in gorgeous fashion, complete with classy paper, beautiful hand curled ribbon, and homemade holiday tags which could turn the lamest gift into a work of art.  I almost feel guilty on Christmas morning when I rip into them like a hungry Jackal into a limping Wildebeast calf.

It doesn't stop me.  But I feel guilty about it nonetheless.  Truely, my lovely wife is like a machine. One of those cool wrapping machines that every husband wishes he had.  And I have one!  The only problem?  And it is admittedly a small one.  Teensy really.  She refuses to wrap her own gifts.  I know! I know! I don't blame her at all for this.  In fact, I admire and appreciate all she does.  She even laid out all the supplies on a table for me in the basement and gave me some handmade tags.  Did I mention that she is a peach?

But the thing is, I suck at wrapping gifts.  Seriously. And next to hers mine look, um....sad.  Imagine blindfolding Lukas with a handful of crumpled paper and a long string of twisted tape and having him wrap presents.  That's kind of how mine end up turning out.  I was actually stoked on our 10 year anniversary a couple years ago when I realized that not only was the symbol for 10 years Tin, but also Aluminum.  I was Carpe Diem all over that. I wrapped all her gifts in aluminum foil.  Unfortunately, I can't get away with that this Christmas.

I did luck out and find some teenagers doing gift wrapping for donations while leaving a store with a couple of gifts for my wife.  I must say, that was a couple of bucks well spent.  Then last night, determined to get it over with and relieve my holiday stress levels, I sucked it up and wrapped the rest of her gifts. 

It could have gone smoother, but I got it done.  I only had to cut a strip to cover the back side of one gift where the paper didn't reach clear across.  And on only a couple of others, I had to heap on the scotch tape to cover a crumply and bowing seam.  The important thing is that it is done.  Well, almost.

Tonight I tackle the bows.

Happy Holiday's to everyone.  May you have safe travels and fond memories.

15 comments:

Didactic Pirate said...

There's such an easy solution here. Wrap your presents in your special way... and then when Mrs. LIAYF opens them, just say, "Lukas wrapped these with his own two hands."

Then again, she may not be fooled.

Happy Holidays to you, O Dad to the North.

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Didactic - Thanks! And to you all too! I'm sure she wouldn't be fooled. "That's too messy. Lukas couldn't have wrapped that"

Keith Wilcox said...

You do bows? Wow, that's way more than I could manage -- well, I can do the stick on ones! :-) My wife does all the wrapping around here, thus, she's the only one who knows what all the presents are.

goodfather said...

This might be a universal 'Dad' thing...? I can't wrap presents to save my life either. Sigh.

Merry Christmas!

Kevin McKeever said...

Two words.

Gift bags.

Merry Christmas to you and the family. K

Anonymous said...

I'm so bad, the wife even wrapped her present that I got her.

EdathomeDad said...

I get the task of wrapping because my wife says she sucks at it. But, I know in fact that she's better at it than me. So, we just have an ugly presentation on the outside but, joy and wonder on the inside. At least that's how I'm selling it. Happy holidays and have a great new year.

Kate said...

Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of children who believe all around the world. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

~Happy Christmas and Merry New Year from our family to you and yours

Diplo_Daddy said...

I totally sympathize with you. I dread wrapping gifts. But hey, mission accomplished!

Anonymous said...

I too rely on the much more talented wife for wrapping endeavors. Or, I send checks :)

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas.

Unknown said...

Holidays are definitely the time of giving and the time to spend with your loved ones. I truly agree on you on being stressed during the holiday season because of the Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, parties everywhere and a whole lot more. But we must also take time to have a break and just relax with our loved ones. As for our family, one of our bonding activities is to attend Thetahealing classes and just meditate. Thetahealing for me is one of the great methods in reducing all kinds of stress. And I think Thetahealing really made me more patient and just appreciate life a little more despite of all the hassles of life.

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Keith - I got em done, as bad as they were.

@goodfather - I'm sure most of us fall into that category.

@Always - That is a great idea, but my wife doesn't like them so I try my best to avoid them. Hope your Christmas was great.

@DC - Haha. That's funny.

@Ed - I need lessons from you, brother.

@Kate - That's very nice. Thanks.

@Diplo - We survived another year, didn't we?

@PJ - We are lucky guys, aren't we?

@Patty - Thanks so much for the holiday Spam comment. Love it. I may need some Healing if I get many more of those.

Lady Mama said...

I was going to say something about wives not caring about how things are wrapped but I'm too busy chuckling at your response to the spam comment. Nothing like a little holiday spam is there...

Violetsouffle said...

Came by to say that thetahealing really did the trick for me too, Patty. My life is so different now that I've embraced that theta healing. How do you use yours? I've been applying it topically, but you should try sticking it (BLEEEEP).
You should just use GIFTBAGS but someone else already mentioned so.

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Lady Mama - Yes, that was special wasn't it. I was going to delete it, but had a better idea.

@Violette - Hahaha. It wasn't working topically, so I was about to stick it somewhere. Maybe not a great idea.