Purchase an iTouch the day after Thanksgiving, which includes a gift card (because it's the day after Thanksgiving). When your husband calls an hour later and says, "Honey, I'm at Best Buy and they have iTouches on sale that include a gift card," lie through your teeth and say, "Sweetheart, I just don't think we can afford one of those right now." Feel bad for a few minutes. Then, for the next six weeks, when an iTouch or iPhone commercial are on TV every 5-10 minutes, watch him look at it longingly and say soothing things like, "That's such a bummer. They are so overrated anyway. I bet it's not as cool as it looks."
Hide it in the bottom of your underwear drawer. (He won't look in there.) When the credit card bill comes and you have to pay for the iTouch, take the money out of the "car insurance" portion of your budget so he doesn't notice the deficit anywhere else. Fervently hope and pray he doesn't pay close attention as you look at the budget together.
Next, wrap it in a shoebox stuffed with the shirts you got at the white elephant party. Don't put it under the tree until Christmas Eve. When he notices it, he gives it a shake and you just shrug your shoulders and act like it's socks and underwear.
When he begins to open it, nonchalantly pull out the camera and switch it to video. Watch his face go from questioning and surprise to that look when he says, "Erin," to happiness as he opens it up. Clap with glee. Feel happy and proud of yourself as he spends two hours on Christmas transferring music and choosing applications.
What NOT to do:
Ethan (age 6) making conversation with Christian: "Dad, do you like the movie Twister?"
Christian: "Yeah, it's pretty good."
Ethan: "Would you say it's your favorite movie?"
Christian: "Um, no, but it's one of my favorites."
Ethan: "What number is it? Like in your top 10?"
Christian: "Well, I guess I would say it's maybe number 4 or 5." (beginning to look suspicious)
Ethan: "Oh, okay."
Less than 10 seconds later:
Ethan, while picking up a movie-shaped present under the tree: "Dad, did you see that Aidan and I got you a present for Christmas?"
32 people wanted to leave a comment:
That's funny! Don't you love the BIG surprise! Mine was the Seinfeld Collection. Nick was so excited!
I am glad you got to surprise your husband. Cute that your boys couldn't keep a secret.
This made me giggle. Poor kid.
That is awesome!!!! That sounds so much like my kids.
hahahaha that's awesome.
I lu-hu-huv surprising people at Christmas! Unfortunately I thought I was getting surprised this year, but it didn't happen! LOL
Hooray for pulling off a fun surpise! Good for you:)
Funny post!
I love Christmas surprises!
My Connor has a hard time not giving the secret away too. Cute.
Awesome! You're a sweet wife.
I like your budget thinking!
I love it! It is hard to surprize a spouse. Plus, I have a really hard time keeping a secret that long. I would have been grinning and giggling at every commercial.
What a great surprise!! I can't keep a secret from Splenda to save my life. I get too excited for him to open stuff!
That sounds almost exactly how I surprised Rick with his ipod a couple years ago. It was even more fun because it was from me, my parents and his parents (I couldn't afford such a big present on my own) and his boss was even in on it so that I could use their company discount. Fun times!
But then I am usually more like Ethan. I am horrible with surprises. Probably why Rick and I are known for giving each other present early.
Good job keeping it a surprise!
I love kids' excitement at gift-giving!!
I wish I had your strength to keep a secret! It was the same story at our house only with Xbox 360. Jake wouldn't shut up about how much he wanted one for the last 6-12 months. I was not going to give in, he wasn't getting one. He doesn't play the PS2, Wii or Xbox we already had. Well, he sold the Xbox, is going to sell the PS2, so I found an Xbox 360 on sale at Walmart that came with a gift card. I couldn't keep it a secret so it became a festivus gift last Wednesday. I am weak.
LOL at Ethan!
You are good at that! I am more like your boys when it comes to keeping gifts secret. What a fun Christmas for him!
Lol! Kids are funny.
And yes iPod Touches are the best! I use mine all of the time and so many many wonderful aps :)
You pulled that off beautifully! I wouldn't have been as successful!
I pretty much failed at that.
I ordered it with my mom's account, and they sent her an email.
I was like DUDE.
Glad it worked for you though!
You are so smart. I LOVE surprising my husband. Luckily he never bothers with Black Friday, so it wouldn't be quite so hard. :)
Sophia was like Aidan this year. She told on quite a few gifts. Oops. But, it's too adorable. I love how Aidan did it. It wasn't that obvious, was it?
I grew up in a household where it was a what NOT to do situation. Even now my parents are like "We just wanted you to know we are getting --- for you guys this year"
There was never any element of surprise and so I LOVE surprises. Way to pull it off-I bet he was thrilled.
That's awesome. What a fun Christmas for both you AND him!
Aaron wrapped his presents for Evie and David while they were at school and when they came home he brought David his and said, "David's car!" Whatever.
Wow! You really pulled one over on him. My husband is impossible to surprise. I gave up years ago.
Ok, posting from the itouch tight now!!! Love it!!! Bit it was a shock to me, not hubby. I love Ethans story! Classic!
What a fun story! My oldest son got one (his one and only present) and he was shocked to get it - kept telling him the same thing, we could not afford it. He has not let go of it since Christmas:)
Great job!! My DH is also VERY hard to surprise, so I always pick something very small to get him that I know he'll never guess.
How cute. Good job! I loved reading both the incidents:). Merry Christmas!
Got to love how kids can't keep a secret at all! Too funny. Congrats on being able to suprise Christian. :)
I'm so impressed you were able to keep a secret like that from your husband...mine always seems to figure out some of his gifts.
You are such a precious wife! And Ethan cracks me up.
HAHAHAHAHa, that is SOOOOOOOOOO funny!!!! I love that!
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