The Art of Present Wrapping

As Christmas day draws closer, the number of hours spent wrapping gifts increases. "Santa's elves" are hard at work wih all those extremely last minute details, which include the wrapping of all the presents.

When faced with the challenge of intense-latest-possible-moment wrapping jobs, the hidden art of present wrapping is revealed. The huge mound of gifts just waiting to be dressed in colorful paper is seen as your iminent doom on Chistmas Eve. Suddenly, you start to worry that each child has an uneven amount of presents, or that you will run out of wrapping paper, gift boxes or bags at ten o'clock that night. Your faithful (...) husband willingly runs around town to retrieve extra gifts, more wrapping paper and lots more tape. Crazed and stressed Mother locks herself in her bedroom and burries herself with presents, wrapped and unwrapped.

Two hours into the wrapping session and you swear that the unwrapped pile is multiplying.

Three hours in and you call up said husband to pick up more stocking stuffers for Kiddo #2.

Four hours, and you're just about ready to give up on wrapping and set out all the presents as 'gifts from Santa'.

Five hours, and you realize that you haven't eaten since 8 A.M. this morning. You are suddenly plagued by fatigue and rush downstairs for food, only to find that the kids have destroyed the house, being unsupervised and given empty wrapping paper rolls.

Six hours, and finally, finally you are finished!

One of the most difficult parts of wrapping is the wrapping of oddly shaped boxes. How on earth are you supposed to wrap a box that has five corners, or is completely round? Of course, these boxes will not fit in a gift bag, so, we bring back the geometry lesson we were taught oh so long ago. Eventually, the box is covered wih paper... mostly....

And then, of course, you tuck the children safe in their beds and haul all the presents downstairs and arrange them aound the tree. Multiple times. Then, collapse into bed and wish desperately that said children will not wake you at the crack of dawn.

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!
~Charles Dickens