When the boys were dropping in last night, I knew at least one of them would "wander" into our master bedroom and casually sneak a peek to see if there were any presents unwrapped. I hoped that since they were, you know, actually GROWN MEN now, they would refrain from such silliness, but on the off chance that either of them was tempted, I hid the presents and set a little trap.
Luke walked back into the kitchen, and looked at me with such disappointment.
"Way to lose your edge there, Mom."
"What do you mean?"
"What'd you do, think, 'Oh, I'll hide these presents. I'll throw a sheet over them, no one will suspect a thing!' Man, that's not even a challenge! You used to be so creative. Remember the duct taped closet door and the secret patterns so you'd know when we moved anything? Or the time you put the voice-activated tape recorder in your bedroom so you'd know if we went in there? Or the time you booby-trapped the whole attic?"
"But I set a trap! I would know if you went in if you tripped it."
"Kinda defeats the purpose if I've already found the presents."
"YOU'RE 22! Do you know this?"
Toni asked in the comments just how my throwing the sheet over them was a trap (well, that's paraphrased, she asked it better). I had put pennies on the tops of the closet doors because what the boys usually did was go try to look for something and then DENY DENY DENY that they ever even had an impure thought about finding their Christmas presents. So the only way I thought I'd know if they peeked was if the pennies fell from the exact location I'd placed them. (I learned long ago not to use tape or anything they could see because they'd put it back in the right spot. But they can't see exactly where the pennies are and once they've fallen, they have to guess where to put them back and it's rare that they're right. So then I know they've been in the closet.) They've gotten so good at denying and playing "innocent" that I figured the dropped pennies would rat them out. I didn't bargain for the fact that he would brazenly open the door and make fun of me for only putting sheets over the presents. I think he's right -- I'm definitely losing my edge.
(He says he didn't look -- that the challenge just wasn't there. Man, if that was the secret all along? Damn.)
Posted by toni at December 21, 2004 11:50 AM
I'm a little confused. So your trap was to throw a sheet over the presents and you assumed that your son was going to peek under the sheet?
Posted by: Toni at December 22, 2004 12:38 PMWe're not to the booby trap phase of rearing the four kids, yet - but thanks for the terrific tips...keeping them filed for future use ;o)
Posted by: Lizt at December 22, 2004 12:42 PMSome people just have insatiable curiosity. I try hiding my presents from myself and I keep finding them every time. ;)
-G
Posted by: Garrison Steelle at December 22, 2004 02:52 PMLoL! I am so lucky that my boys never event ry to see what they got. They like to be surprised. :D (Well, I guess that and threats to their lives pretty much works hehehe)
Posted by: T at December 22, 2004 05:08 PMman, that's fun.
Posted by: rakel at December 22, 2004 07:35 PMHey come-on surely you know forbidden fruit always tastes sweetest, if it's no effort to find it the excitment is gone.
Oh well, now you know the secret :)
Posted by: ShaolinTiger at December 22, 2004 11:26 PM