Friday, December 15, 2006

Wrapped

The other night Lauren and I put the kids to bed, gathered up all the bows, ribbons, tape, paper and gifts and we sat on the living room floor. I had made a pot of coffee to give us a little boost as we planned to wrap all the gifts while chatting the night away. Since most of the gifts need to get shipped up to PA we wanted to get all the wrapping done early. It was quite cozy.

I started with the red and green striped paper to wrap a gift for Luke as Lauren sized up the white patterned paper for a gift for Jess. My cut was a little off, but for the most part it was straight and I had, surprisingly, cut enough paper off the roll to cover the entire gift. Lauren was centereing Jess' gift on the paper before she made a cut.

I folded to the left, tape, tape. I folded to the rght, tape, tape. I folded both sides, tape, tape, tape and just one more, tape, for good measure. I cut a small piece of paper off the roll, wrote "To Luke" and taped it to the gift. Done. I looked over to Lauren who was carefully folding each corner to make a perfect crisp line on her gift. I went to get a cup a coffee.

When I came back into the room, Lauren, who was carefully tying some ribbon criss-crossing the corners of the wrapped box, looked up at me and said, "I will wrap the rest of the gifts."

"No. I will help." I said as I sat down and grabbed another gift.

Lauren's hand reached out to stop my hand from grabbing the roll of paper. "No." She said. "I really don't mind. I will wrap the rest of the gifts." And she looked over at the gift I had wrapped for Luke and then back to me and she nodded to indicate to me that it was okay for me to leave the room.

I think she was just jealous of my quick, efficient, Martha Stewart like wrap job that she did not want me to wrap more gifts than her.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

My husband also uses a roll of tape per gift. What is it with that???

Anonymous said...

Clothes do not make the man

Anonymous said...

I'm sure that that is exactly the reason...pure unadultered jealousy..we can't all be like Martha

Unknown said...

"I think she was just jealous of my quick, efficient, Martha Stewart like wrap job that she did not want me to wrap more gifts than her."

I'm totally sure that was it.

(please excuse me as I roll around on the floor laughing and clutching my stomach)

Unknown said...

I'm sure that's it, Bill.

LOVED the "Best Medicine" video!

Anonymous said...

teri says:

some people are controlling like that.

Anonymous said...

My wife did the same thing the year I tried to demonstrate how gift bags could revolutionize the whole gift wrapping process.

Anonymous said...

I think Daddy Slinger would be the same way - and me, the control freak would be just like Lauren. It's nice to see other couples are the same as us! Thanks!

Slinger said...

Oh yeah, that would totally be us! I will admit, my wrapping sucks. Why spend so much time on something that is going to get ripped to shreds in a few weeks anyway?

And thanks, I know what I am doing tonight now after the kids go to bed.

Platypus said...

I'm sure you're right, she was just jealous and it was big of you to let her have her moment...

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!

Kami said...

Yes, she was jealous. That's what it was.

Unknown said...

That's so funny. Good thing I'm not Martha Stewert. I have given gifts before where the paper does not entirely cover the box.

Anonymous said...

Well, you are one box ahead of Dad! He has never wrapped a gift in his life. As a matter of fact, the first Valentine's card that he got for me after we were married, was still in the brown Pharmacy bag, and not signed, and not tucked in the envelope. He gave it to me the same as the cashier gave it him. When I complained that the card was not signed, he said it would be my last Valentine's card. It was! of course, I still receive flowers on the anniversary of our firsst date. So, he's not all bad. Merry Christmas!

Scottsdale Girl said...

Yah that's your story and yer stickin to it right?

The prince is soooo very lucky that there are now GIFTBAGS! for which he can "WRAP" things in.

Anonymous said...

You totally snowed her! I know that trick. I'm onto you & your kind.

Pretend you can't load the dishwasher/ clothes washer, or you can't fold the towels in thirds so they hang correctly, or cook dinner without burning it, or, well, you get the idea, don't you Bill? You do it badly enough, you won't be asked to help again, huh?

Un-believe-able. Sheeeesh!

Worse, Lauren fell for it.

Anonymous said...

William,

Ben White's wife just called..

She needs help wrapping her presents.

eclectic said...

Sheesh, Bill. Sometimes with women you gotta slow down a little. It's not a race, y'know. ;)

Kate Giovinco Photography said...

So no more wrapping gifts in your future. You really should have given us bloggers the choice of who wraps better by posting your present and Lauren's!

Kate Giovinco Photography said...

So no more wrapping gifts in your future. You really should have given us bloggers the choice of who wraps better by posting your present and Lauren's!

Nilbo said...

That is precisely why I had female children. I now just turn all gifts over to them for wrapping. I have realized that I have limitations as a wrapper, because while women wrap for looks, men wrap for security. Ain't nobody getting into this gift by accident.

Anonymous said...

I won't permit Rob to wrap for the same reason. His crooked cuts and sloppy tape jobs are just so much more beautiful than anything I can produce... It's more than my ego can handle.

Nichole said...

Ha ha! I bet that's what it was. As I started reading this post I was growing jealous that you actually help your wife with the gift wrapping. I thought, "How sweet! Coffee for two, late night chit chat. How come we don't do that?!"

Oh right, because my husband can't wrap gifts. Our wrapping session consists of me on the floor wrapping gifts meticulously while DH plays FFXII without me.

Anonymous said...

I agree. You unknowingly tread upon the unspoken rule: never do something she feels she is superior at in an efficient or effective fashion. It will only create problems.

At least that's what I tell myself is the reason I don't do the laundry.

MrsDoF said...

Gift Bags are the way to go.
Especially re-cycled ones from years gone by, or yard sales.
I couldn't even tell you where the scotch tape is in the house, although I keep a roll of masking tape, to use for labeling purposes, beside the paper towels.

ewe are here said...

heh heh

Valerie said...

My hubbies knows that it's best if he doesn't "help" me wrap the presents.

This year, he didn't even try to wrap my present...on Christmas morning, my in-laws were there and he told me to go get something on the seat of his car, for his parents...it was my Christmas gift (a nice leather purse).