Santa's Elves Working Overtime

All I can say is that Santa's elves learned a very valuable lesson this year!! Let me explain. I ordered the boys Santa's gifts a month or so ago (one was a bike and the other was a 4 foot tall Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Secret Sewer Lair). They came in very big boxes which I just nicely placed in our room, unopened so as to not have any peekers, where they have remained until tonight. At about 8:30 or so after the boys were nicely tucked in their beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, we decided to open the boxes and start putting together the gifts. Now, my story could really go down hill here and I could tell you that when I opened the boxes the things I ordered were not the correct items, since I never once thought to check them, but luckily the people at the stores spared me and sent me the correct items. Whew- first problem of the night averted! But, it seems like luck would not stay on our side.

Shane decided he would put the bike together so I decided I would start on the Sewer Lair. I honestly figured I had the easier of the two - yea me!!! So Shane is nicely working in our bedroom and I in the family room when I hear Shane muttering in our room. I go in there and he is all irritated because the front part of the bike, that is supposed to attach to the front wheel, is welded at an angle so that there is no way it will fit on the wheel. He pulled on it, pounded on it, and there was no budging it. What in the heck were we going to do??? Casen was expecting a bike, and it HAD to be put together, because let's face it, that's what Santa's Elves do! We tried this, we tried that, and still nothing. After I knew I could not be of any help at this point, I headed back to my sewer lair - heck, we had to have at least one gift put together. I steadily worked on putting this four foot thing together, and then was called to the garage because Shane had a brilliant idea of how to get the bike together. He decided to tie a strap to one of the tow hooks on the front of his jeep and then wrap the other end on one side of the bar that is to go over the wheel. He then wrapped another strap around the other side of the bar and was going to pull as hard as he could while my job was to try to push the wheel up between the two bars. First attempt, I smashed my right thumb - lovely. Second and third attempts were no go's. Finally on the fourth attempt, with Shane pulling with all his might, I finally got the wheel up in to place! Yes!!!!! Casen would get a put together bike after all!!!! Woo hoo!!!!

So, by this time it is close to 10:30. I headed back to my sewer lair and Shane finished putting together the bike. Can I tell you, it took me until midnight to get that dang secret sewer lair all put together??? At least 2 1/2 hours if not more of putting that thing together!!! Who knew????

So, what do you think the moral to this whole story is? First, always check your boxes prior to the day of. I really feel blessed that my items were correct. I have no idea why I never checked before that night, but when it dawned on me that I never once checked the items I was in a panic even before I opened the boxes. And secondly, put together your gifts prior to Christmas Eve (even if that means finding a secret hiding spot in the attic or somewhere else). Could you imagine what poor little Casen's face would have looked like this morning if his bike was in front of the Christmas tree in pieces? Honestly, these are such blatantly obvious things - but apparently not too obvious for some of us. : ) Let's just say, LESSON LEARNED!!!!