Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas Gift Creativity (or Possibly Too Much Time on One's Hands)

My brother’s personality really showed this year in his Christmas gift giving. We started drawing names last year for all of the kids making our gift giving a little easier on us all. We haven’t done adult exchanges since we all started having multiple offspring.

This year my brother had drawn Lauren, Cassidy and my two nephews names. They’re all at the age where they really only want cash or gift cards if given a choice. It’s so hard to pick something out for a teenager and please them these days.

The first one to open her gift from my brother and sister-in-law was Lauren. She unwrapped a perfectly rolled up wad of 50 one dollar bills and when she attempted to unroll them to see exactly what it was, it ended up looking like a perfectly orchestrated magic show. The dollar bills unrolled just like a roll of toilet paper. The dollars had been strategically taped together one by one and then rolled up. I wish I had pictures but we weren’t warned ahead of time so everyone was caught by surprise, although my sister-in-law did get it on video. Cassidy had watched Lauren and knew better than to try and unroll hers when she opened them. Smart girl!

My nephews were the next victims. Trevin opened a shoe box of 50 wadded up one dollar bills, or I should say crumpled up one dollar bills, basically they were all wadded into balls. DJ was next and his dollar bills had all been stuffed into an empty beer bottle. He was very excited about breaking the bottle to get to his money.

I couldn’t help but wonder how long it took him to tape together one hundred one dollar bills for Cassidy and Lauren, to crumple another 50 and then to stuff yet another 50. He really needs to get a life! He did mention wondering if the tellers at the bank thought he might have a big night at the topless cabaret planned after he went by the bank to get the 200 one dollar bills.

4 comments:

Ronni said...

I love it! Not only did they get *money,* which was what they wanted, but the will remember it, and remember having had to work for it!

Kudos to Brother!

Anonymous said...

i think you have a very creative, great and thoughtful brother. he is very handsome and one of my favorite children...hahaha

Anonymous said...

This is GREAT! Leave it to Curt! I can't believe I didn't think of it 1st! I gave my neice & nephews only $20 each, but I wrote their names in colorful paint pens right across the front. I thought I was being creative. If you ever get a $20 that says "Elizabeth, Hunter, Aiden or Avery", you'll know they were once in my hands.

Carri said...

Yes, the brother does rock. He is quiet unique, and was my mother's favorite! That's no lie!
I used to love to decorate paper bills. I would die if I ever got one that said Carri was here 1980 or Carri Loves Les!
Teresa, I will let you know if I ever see your recent art work and I won't spend it.