It has been a long, slow haul coaching Partner concerning holiday behavior. Up until ten years ago, he was still in basic training. Of course, if you had a dog who took 30 years to train he would either be dead or traded in on a new dog, but I have a lot of time and energy invested in Partner so I keep trying.
His skill set now includes:
1. Gifts must be removed from the shipping box and receipts must be saved.
2. Gifts are not really "wrapped" unless they also have been bowed.
3. There are no gift wrap gaps allowed on the underside of packages.
4. Three pairs of socks wrapped individually do not count as three gifts.
5. Never, under any circumstances, place a non-jewelry gift in a recycled jewelry box.
I know it seems like Partner has learned quite a bit, but he still has not mastered the joy of shopping early. Not only won't he shop early, he won't give me any holiday gift hints so that I can finish my shopping. I guess we have made some progress because December 24th used to be his modus operandi for beginning shopping. (Can you believe he was always surprised to find that stores ran out of items and Internet couldn't deliver by Christmas morning?)
While he might not be in any hurry to finish his shopping, I on the other hand, have a few other chores to take care of...decorating the house, putting up the trees, filling the stockings, baking, etc. So Partner, if you want to give me the best gift of all...how about giving me your Christmas list, NOW !
My dad always shops for Christmas gifts on December 24. He does usually ask us for lists before then, oddly enough, but seems to be one of those last-minute shoppers. I've always found that strange, but maybe that's just the way he works best. Hope you get your list before Christmas Eve!
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