Christmas time is here.

I have always enjoyed Christmas... the lights (how did they get THAT tangled just sitting in a box?), the exciting build up (if you find long lines and no parking exciting), doing good for others (unless I am on 280), looking forward to Santa (scaring the Xerxes out of the kids), the gifts (oh... I'm sorry, we just sold the last one), and last but certainly not least, the eight pound six ounce new born baby Jesus.

One thing that I have NOT enjoyed in the least is the way that toy companies now lash their toys to the packaging. Are they worried that the toys will come alive and try to escape? It is probably to prevent shoplifters from taking them out of the packages easily. If that is the case I say we flog any shoplifter as they have made parents lives infinitely more difficult on birthdays, Christmas, or any other gift giving occasion. If they were caught stealing a toy I may be for bringing back breaking on the wheel:)

We did Christmas with all the in-laws yesterday. One of the toys the Triplets got, and LOVE, is a small truck. This cute small truck was attached by not only an industrial twist tie that was long enough to tie a Christmas tree on the top of the van and was twisted more times than a balloon string caught in a ceiling fan it was also attached with not one, not two, not three but four screws! SERIOUSLY!! I want to find who developed that packaging and superglue all the locks to their house, car, gym locker, EVERYTHING!

On to the solution.... The CFO and I take everything out of it's box before wrapping it and take all that mess off. We also put batteries in the stuff that needs it, charge the stuff that needs charging, download the software that needs downloading, etc.... Nothing is more infuriating than having three kids all screaming while you wrestle with just getting the stinking toy out of the package. Once everything is working and unattached we put it back in the box and wrap it up. This makes for a VERY nice Christmas morning.

BTW, we also try to do the same thing when giving a gift. Believe me, the parents will thank you:)

Everyone is gifted - but some people never open their package
Unknown

You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.
Unknown

Al