Am I the only parent who waits until 11:55 p.m. on Christmas Eve to start wrapping a closet full of gifts?
Let the festive cloaking of toys and books begin… before my kid wakes up.
My gift wrapping marathon typically begins after my young daughter goes to bed… or, rather, to sleep.
On Christmas Eve that can take up to three hours.
She’s cajoled into bed, but fights fatigue with every fiber of her being. The kid is determined to catch a glimpse of Santa, and this year even set a “trap” to prove to her doubting classmates that this Claus character is in fact the bearer of multiple wish list items, from a stuffed Scooby Doo to the mega-popular Doggie Doo.
And so begins the backbreaking chore of wrapping a flatulent dog that poops logs of Nickelodeon-inspired slime, a mountain of books, Barbie’s condo and a slew of other plastic paraphernalia.
If all goes well, I will wrap-up the gift wrapping around 4 a.m. on December 25th, or approximately an hour before my child runs into my bedroom and starts begging me to watch her unwrap her Christmas loot.
Usually I wrap solo. I get done quicker that way. And by quicker I mean however long it takes me to cram as many toys into gift bags while sneaking extended peeks at “A Christmas Story,” “The Sound of Music,” the Pope celebrating midnight Mass at the Vatican, or anything else that’s on TV at one in the morning.
Each year I say I will change. I promise to never again put off wrapping Christmas gifts, then… well… nope.
So much for good intentions.
By the way, if you are a present wrapping procrastinator like me, then gift bags are the only way to go. Sure, they’re considered the easy way out and may not look as fancy as boxes topped with beautiful bows, bells or pine cones, but these are kids we’re wrapping for. My child could care less if the ribbon matches the paper, or if the gift tag is shaped like a gingerbread man. As long as her name is on it, then it’s a merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas fellow procrastinators!
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