Wrapping Station

Normally, my "wrapping station" would be the floor of the family room on Christmas Eve with a glass of eggnog in easy reach.

This year, I'm trying something new: wrapping the presents an entire WEEK before Christmas. I'm not sure what effect this will have on my Christmas Eve, but I have high hopes for low stress.

Kevin has commandeered the family room for his own purposes. Every night after the kids go to bed, he sets up a table and a veritable woodshop. He is building a dollhouse from a kit my dad bought for the girls.

In order to help keep the little sneaky varmints from tiptoeing downstairs and beholding their gift before Christmas, I wanted to set up my wrapping in my room, which overlooks the whole hallway, allowing me to monitor all activity. But then I can't just pull out all the gifts and spread out, or they'll see everything if they do get up.

So... I set up the ironing board near my door and draped a blanket over it. This would keep all the gifts out of view. Then I brought up the 6-foot ladder to reach the gifts in their hiding place up on our pot shelf. Bags of bows, rolls of paper, bolts of ribbon, and a slew of to-and-from cards, and I was set to go. About two gifts in and Joe was up having to go to the bathroom. Cayna too. And Bethanie too. First kid clogged the toilet, but I couldn't send the others to either other bathroom without compromising the surprises. So Kevin had to halt his siding installation and come upstairs to do some plumbing. I hovered near the draped ironing board to make sure no one peeked over. Everyone did their business and went back to bed. I went back to wrapping. I think I finished a whopping eight packages before I started to get tired. Or just bored. It was eerily quiet up there without children, husband, television or telephone. Just me and the HO HO HO paper.

We'll see if I pick up tonight where I left off. The ironing board, blanket, and ladder are all ready. But procrastination is so sweet.