It reminded me of my first Christmas being married to Kent eleven years ago. I bought Kent a $110, leather-bound set of the Ante-Nicean Fathers' writings. Not what most people would want, but it was at the top of his list. After shopping for me, he found the perfect gift and couldn't contain the surprise, so he told my family what he found that he knew I would love. They all seemed a little less encouraging and wary, but I didn't want to know anything. I was sure Kent and I were so in tune that he knew better than they what I would want.
Christmas morning I unwrapped...a Scumbuster. A hand-held, battery-operated machine that spins scrubbing pads to make cleaning showers easy. But that's not all. My gift list had included pajamas. I was even very specific about which PJs I wanted at which store and on which rack. And Kent got me the right PJs...in a size 24W. He didn't realize that men's sizes don't work the same as women's. He was standing at the rack trying to find a 30 (or whatever my waist measured in inches back then), and 24 was the biggest he could see. It didn't occur to him to ask a clerk why most of the PJs were size 8 or 10. In a state of shock after opening the gift box, all I could do was hold up the PJ bottoms and ask, "Did you look at these?"
I have since learned to pick out exactly the thing I want and just let him pay for it. The last few years, all I've wanted is to go out to a show and dinner. Tomorrow we are seeing Glenn Beck perform his "Christmas Sweater" stage show, which is being broadcast to theaters. Then we're going out for some Indian food. I'm quite excited!
I'd love to hear your "surprising" gift experiences too! I know I'm not the only one out there.
By the way, I actually did like the Scumbuster and it's proven a little useful. But I wouldn't recommend cleaning implements as gifts. They're more for "Look what I picked up at Wal-Mart that I thought would make your life easier."
9 comments:
Ha! That was a pretty funny video. Peter has always been really good about buying gifts. He always managed to out spend or out surprise me. Like the piano he bought one year. I don't no what he is going to do this year, because I really don't want/need anything.
i buy all of my own christmas presents and i wrap them. on christmas josh is always suprised at what he got for me! i came up with this plan. that's how i like it. i dont like surprises or exchanging things. i'm really excited about the things i got for myself this year! i cant wait till christmas!
Charlotte--where did he hide a piano that you didn't know you were getting it? You'll have to update your post and let me know what this year's surprise is.
Sylwia--It's great that you can still be excited even knowing exactly what you get. I suppose the anticipation for you isn't in the "what?" but in the "when". How funny!
In the neighbors' garage. We have had some great neighbors. He has worked everyday but one this month (and we spent that one in NYC) so I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't do much this year.
David has a hard time with Christmas gifts. I usually tell him pretty up front what I want. Every once in a while, though, he has a fun idea and gets me something that I've wanted a long time. He got me my camera for graduation, and my Bongo/Conga drums for Christmas two years ago, and flew me out to San Francisco for my birthday when he proposed. I think he likes to do BIG gifts, and since we can't always afford/justify those, the other years there isn't much in the way of surprises. I do kind of wish he was good at thinking of small surprises, because I really love presents and I think I'm pretty easy to please. But it's really not a big deal--he does so many other things fabulously. :o)
Oh, and I hope you have fun tonight!! Indian food sounds DIVINE!
This is an awesome story. I can just see Kent trying to explain his way through this debacle. You can tell him I'm laughing AT him this time. Size 24, good heavens.
I can totally relate to your first Christmas story. Our first Christmas we were barely married and totally poor. We decided not to do much. We went to Sears shortly before Christmas and spent a gift card that we had received as a wedding present. Anyway, back then, there wasn't much for a girl at Sears. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed when Christmas morning, my gifts consisted solely of the new bra and the work gloves that I had gotten at Sears. I tried to hide my disappointment, but I finally had to confess that I didn't consider a new bra a Christmas present. Eric made up for it the next day though and took me to the mall for a new outfit.
Alena--That's pretty funny because I would LOVE a gift certificate to Victoria's Secret to get a really good bra. (I've had several people tell me their bras are great, but I can't bring myself to spend $50 on one.)
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