Ahhh…Gia, Gia, Gia…when will you learn? Mommy’s been around a few more years than you have, my dear.

Gia loves Christmas – who can blame her! She’s 11 and the excitement of the season is like no other for a child. But this year, she has been extremely anxious asking each day when will I place presents under the tree!

Now, I am all about patience and enjoying the anticipation. Gia’s relentlessness, however, had to be dealt with. So on Thursday evening I placed a gift box (purposefully without tape) under the tree. Of course there was something in it – a ‘Pink’ holiday thermal and lip gloss.

Would she discover the present? 

Shake the gift box? 

Maybe try to open it? 

What do you you think?!?!

In celebration of St. Nicholas Day (yes St. Nick was around long before Santa), I awoke early to wrap a few gifts – one of which would be the thermal in the gift box. To no one’s surprise, when I opened the box to wrap the thermal, it was still there but not quite folded as I had done. Yes, they call me the “folding queen” as I prefer towels, shirts, etc, folded a certain way. Immediately I knew that my purposefully untaped gift box had been tampered with.

Caught – red handed!

Hmmm…time for a lesson. I replaced the thermal with a towel and a note from Santa (see picture). Back under the tree it went the box.

Now you can imagine the expression on Gia’s face later this morning when she opened the thermal present nicely wrapped and not from the gift box. Watching her carefully – a questioning glance and eyes that were secretly embarrassed.

I remained silent about the gift box and went about my day. Oddly Gia brought it up when we were grocery shopping.

“Mom”, she asked. “What’s in the gift box? Leah (her friend) opened it yesterday when she was over and said there was a note from Santa in it.”

Oh my goodness! Help – she is obsessed with this box!

I turned to her and calmly replied, “Gia, my dear, that note was not there yesterday. I placed it in the box this morning. You must have looked in it AGAIN because I know you were aware of the thermal. You can’t fold like Mommy does!”

Busted – a second time!

We laughed and laughed and laughed more. As much as I wanted to be angry, I could not help but think back to the time when I was her age and curiosity nabbed the best of me.

The gift box remains under the tree. And it will until Christmas. Maybe, just maybe, something will magically appear in the box with Gia’s name on it. But for now, the note from Santa will remain serving to remind Gia that Mrs. Claus is ALWAYS one step ahead of her.