Amateur

Even though I have had four years of experience with children at Christmas time, I am apparently still an amateur. Today I have failed at hiding Christmas presents and keeping them a surprise. In the rush of putting on a ward Christmas party and all of the hullaballoo of what it demands, I quickly stashed a couple of the presents under my bed hoping they wouldn't be discovered by my eldest until I could move them. I should have known.

What was Santa going to bring the boys this year? We had decided he would deliver Jace a new, bright green Hot Wheels bicycle and Cole was going to be the lucky recipient of a Black and Decker Junior Tool Set. After struggling to decide what in the world Santa was even going to get Cole, we were so excited that he had this genius idea. We just knew Cole was going to love it. We bought some accessories to accompany Santa's tool set to give to Cole. I quickly stashed the them along with some other meaningless presents under my bed.

This morning, Jace picked up an ad and pointed to the very present that Santa was going to give to Cole and declares that that is exactly what he wants for Christmas. I have never heard this request before, the only things on Jace's wish list have been a bigger Megatron and a horn. Where was this dire need for a tool set suddenly coming from? Later he was talking to Bryan and I and said, "I want the Black junior tool set." I gave Bryan a puzzled looked and asked him if he told Jace what the name of the tool set was. Jace chimed in and told me that no, he learned it from the man on TV.

Then revelation hit. Oh no, he was going to steal Cole's present on Christmas morning and not even give a Santa's ho,ho,ho about his ultra cool, revving, bright green Hot Wheels bike.

While I was out fulfilling some church duties this afternoon, Jace was the official spoiler of Christmas surprise. I came home to Jace's discovery of my well stashed presents and his excitement that HE was getting tools for Christmas - just what he always wanted. We have convinced Jace that Cole is getting tools for Christmas. But don't worry, he's okay with this because he's still going to get his bigger Megatron and he'll just share with Cole. Which means he's going to completely take it over.

Now Santa's going to have to rethink what he delivers to the boys Christmas morning. Maybe he'll be kind enough to allow Bryan and I to save Jace's bike for his birthday and he can give Jace the tool set. And just maybe, maybe Cole will miraculously start speaking in sentences and declare his absolute need to receive a certain toy from Santa on Christmas morning. And we'll just have to pray that it's not a Black and Decker Junior Tool Set.