Gag Gifts

This is more in the nature of an aside rather than a post. My phone has a picture of the Snow village, featuring the luminescent pink bottle brush tree Aaron gave me. It was my birthday present and he was so excited about it, he was willing to break all the rules and let me open it several days before my birthday. I put it out immediately, though it went back into the cupboard during the house tour/Thanksgiving season. Now, though, it has the place of honor in the town square of Snow Village surrounded by ceramic Santa, the Mayor and several children. Aaron and I talk about it every time he visits. I know it will be one of the most memorable gifts I ever receive and I'll think about it every birthday and every Christmas. I am grateful his mommy did not scoff at his notion, but allowed him to pick the gift he had his heart set on....that moment anyway!

It very much reminded me of a similar present from another little boy not much older. Lee and Ann were old enough to drive when they took Ben Christmas shopping. Obviously a similar 'gotcha' moment occurred while they were in WalMart, I'd guess. At any rate, Ben came home pleased as punch with his gift for his mom and soon the wrapped package was under the tree. Shortly thereafter, Annie and I were having a late evening conversation when suddenly a voice from the living room called out "time to rise and shine, Doc!" The voice was unmistakable and the message repeated over and over, while we exchanged shocked and curious looks. All at once it occurred to Ann what was happening..."Its Ben's Christmas present!" 

 There was nothing to be done but to dig out the package, open it and attempt to silence the Bugs Bunny alarm from its appointed task. There he was, popping out of his rabbit hole in 3-d plastic splendor to get us up and moving. We punched the electronic buttons madly, hoping the young gift giver in the next room wouldn't awake to find us spoiling his surprise. He didn't that night....nor the next when we heard Bugs go off AGAIN around 11:30 p.m. Obviously, we weren't as smart as what we were working with. We finally stuck Bugs under Annie's bed until Christmas when he could be revealed in all his glory, to be ooohed and aaahed over as a magnificently original gift.

As a postscript to this tale, Bugs is still around. And the next generation of kids is just as fascinated by his antics, even though he no longer jumps up out of his rabbit hole. As a matter of fact, the children love him so much, their mother has removed his batteries.

And Aaron is continuing his gift giving genius for the Christmas season. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but just wait til his daddy sees what he's getting for Christmas!