Long Ago

Long ago...well actually, about a year and a half ago, I started this blog. Mostly to share the tales of our family with our family members who were far, far away. I also made mention that this might give my loving husband a chance to write and show off his abilities as a writer, because he is indeed good at writing. Well, we all know that hasn't happened. Until now anyways. And actually, he has no idea I am doing this. But as I read through the email he sent to a couple of our family members this morning I just knew it had to be shared with all our family and friends!

Good Wednesday everyone. I just had to share this story with you, while it's still fresh in my head. Enjoy.

Okay, so we went to our cub scout pack meeting last night at Lukas' school. A "bingo gift exchange" was publicized. I explained to Lukas what a "white elephant gift exchange" was but I told him I didn't know how this one would work. Lukas is stoked at his present possibilities.

We walk into the cafeteria and Lukas puts his wrapped gift with all the other wrapped gifts. After the pledge and announcements the game begins. Each father and son is given a bingo card and about half a bag of mini-marshmallows...enough marshmallows to feed the entire county, but the kids are told not to eat them. Here, let me load this gun, now don't shoot it.

We wait and fill in our bingo card...Lukas was probably the 6th or 7th winner, understand cards weren't cleared during the bingo process so winners were yelling out their elation about every 15 seconds. After Lukas' victory he walks down to the present table to make his selection. He's back in probably a minute later(it took him a while to find the perfect "gift").

The box he's chosen is a perfect cube. I know this isn't a good sign. Lukas later told me he thought a "big car" was inside. No chance. His unbridled excitement quickly turned to dismay when he unwrapped and saw the contents of his square of sorrow....a GIANT Hershey Kiss ?! What is a 6 year old going to do with that ? He looked at me, with these big puppy eyes and asked, "Daddy, when do we trade them?"

I informed our oldest that it wasn't that type of game and he got what he got...an intelligent, evening-saving question followed: "Can I TRADE if someone WANTS this gift?" I told him there was no harm in trying. And just like that he was off like a shot, a used car salesman on the pitch, targeting anyone, friend or foe who was lucky enough to reel in something that wasn't the worst gift in the history of gift-giving for kids under the age of 10.

I gotta hand it to our boy, he had a short-term memory, one denial didn't affect his pitch to the next huge embarrassing failure. Finally, his hard work paid off. The boy sitting next to Lukas as the bingo game was being played won and picked out a present as Lukas was on the prowl. He got a package of 5 Hot Wheels cars. Lukas tried his pitch one last time.....and the sucker bought it!!!! Happiness restored on the face of that boy of mine and he held them in the air as if he had made the cars with his own 2 hands.

But our story isn't over.....

A couple minutes later, the mother of our knight-in-awful-gift-giving-shining-armor walks up to our new best friend, gives him a puzzled look and says: "You picked out the one you brought, huh?" The look Lukas and I shared as we walked out of the cafeteria, recapping what kind of disappointment almost happened was priceless. What a way to welcome in the gift-giving season. Now I can't wait to see his face when he opens up a few more gifts this weekend.

Have joy-filled day my family, Joe