Presents

I am sitting here writing when I should be cleaning the house and doing a million things still on my list of things to do before Christmas.  I am listening to the girls discussing the presents underneath the tree.  Monday night I wrapped up a bunch of the kids presents and put them under the tree.  In years past, I have not put the presents under the tree for a couple of reasons. First, I have always had a little one who will open them (not to mention older ones who "notice" a rip in one of the presents).  Second, they drive me crazy asking me to open them every 5 minutes.  I thought that this year I would try it.  So far, they are still asking me every 5 minutes to open an "early Christmas present."  They also have already guessed what everything is.  Ella is telling me right now that one present is a computer (it is flat as a pancake).  I hope she is not disappointed that it is a sticker book :).  Growing up, my mom used to put a code on the presents so that we would not know who each present belonged to.  I really should have done that, but I was too rushed in my wrapping ( I sent Ryan over to the dinosaur museum for 2 hours and I still was not done).  I also don't think the code prevented us from touching, shaking and ripping the presents before Christmas.  I am also reminded that my Dad always knew what his presents were.  Each year he would guess each present.  One year, we bought him something that we thought would stump him.  We got him a sumo doll.  He actually guessed it.  I still don't really know how (I guess I should ask him).  I also don't know what ever happened to that sumo doll!  So, the picking over and counting the presents will continue for another couple of days.  I may give in and let them open something on Christmas eve.  For now, I think I will just watch and listen to them dream up what might be inside the packages.