The Christmas surprise

~also seen here

I never meant for it to be a Christmas surprise, and if I had planned it, something would've gone wrong. But here is how it happened.

Our 5 1/2 year old Dell desktop died about a week before Christmas. I knew it was coming but I was hoping it would hold out a little while longer. But it didn't. And it only took a day or two of only having one computer for me to realize that sharing would not work for long. The Kid and I are too computer addicted, and honestly, I work at home and he has homework that requires use of the computer so it's not just our internet addictions that are the issue.

I just happened to go to Staples a day or two after the compupter died and saw some pretty cheaply priced Dells---I came sooooooo close to buying one, but I hesitated to invest in another pc when I really do like Apple better now. So I waited.

A few more days passed. Woman Warrior came home and she needed to use the computer, too. I dithered some more about what kind to buy and when. As I usually do, I thought about it for a while and then acted quickly all of a sudden. So about 4:30 Friday afternoon (the Friday before Christmas) I went on line and ordered the iMac, thinking it would arrive Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas.

The next day (Saturday) around noon I heard the doorbell. I was home working on my sermon and everyone else (NSLS, Mr. LS, WW, and the Kid) had gone out shopping. I hurried to the door and to my surprise found the Fed Ex man there holding my new computer--about 18 hours after I ordered it! I decided to put it in my closet and bring it out later. Then it hit me....I could put it under the tree. Only WW knew I had ordered it, and I'm sure she didn't expect it so soon either. And no one knew it was delivered but me. So later I wrapped it and put it back in the closet.

Christmas Eve after everyone had gone to bed and I had finished my Christmas sermon I stuffed the stockings and put presents under the tree. The computer box was off to one side but clearly visible. Christmas Day I went off to church before anyone else was up and around, and we didn't open presents until after church and brunch. What really surprised me was that the Kid expressed no curiosity over the big box. Had he found it and now was trying to play it cool?

Anyway we opened presents one at a time, until that big box was all that was left. The tag only said, "From Santa". The Kid pulled it over and I said to him, "You open it." He was truly surprised. And very excited since he will be the main user of the iMac.

Honestly, I've never been good at pulling off big surprises. The kids used to be bad about searching for and often finding any presents I bought early or guessing what they were getting. So this felt like a real coup for me.