WE FORGOT THE PRESENTS

So, today we drove for a couple hours to get to a family Christmas.

Just as we were pulling into town, my parents realized they forgot to pack the most crucial bag: the bag with all the presents.

It was mostly quiet and cheery before the realization came to my step mom: WE FORGOT THE PRESENTS.

Panic and fear arose on my step mother's face as she frantically babbled some ideas on what to do.
Should we turn around right now and head back to get the presents? ( oh yay...four more hours in the car...joy)
Should we just mail the presents later? (sure we look bad for a bit...but sure)
Should we go to Shopko and buy some presents real fast? (FAIL)

I was sure we would have to drive home to get them.

I mumbled something about Christmas not being all about the presents and that they might understand that we forgot them.

That was kind of acknowledged but then ignored and the talk went back to what on earth we were going to do about the present ordeal. "We need to have some sort of presents!"

My dad said something about dropping us off and then driving back home himself to get the presents. My step mom decided that wasn't a good idea and that it wasn't worth it. So I wiped my brow and gave thanks that we weren't driving all the way back home.

In the end, they decided that dad would go and buy close to what we already got for the family at the local mall...and then just return the gifts we had at home.

oh fun. Dad also needed a volunteer to come along. My step mom was like "me me pick me!" but my dad was like "no no you need to spend time with your family". So I went along the shopping adventure. In the meantime, my step mom would distract the family and not mention that we forgot the presents. My brother and sister would just kinda...chill. I wonder how that went?

So here we are...in a town neither of us really know...trying to find where the mall was. We found it! Huzzah! We get out of the van, run through a bunch of slush and into the mall. We look at the mall map. Games by James! Yay...one present will be found there and on the opposite side of the mall...Bath and Body Works. Ok! We'll find another present there. We go to the stores, buy the presents and head to the walmart to find toys, wrapping paper, scissors and tape. We get a frantic call. "Are you done yet?". No no. Chill out we've only been gone for a half an hour.

Oh no! They did not have the toy we were looking for at walmart....kids like legos right? Can't go wrong with that.

There was no Christmas wrapping paper...the cheap, insanely neon green wrapping paper was the best we could get that was even remotely christmas-y. It was...distracting.

Buy stuff. Run out of walmart. I attempted to wrap the presents in the backseat. I kinda failed and I could only wrap one. We suspiciously parked a block away from the house and my dad helped me wrap the remaining presents.

We finish and drive to the house and pretend as though we just went...to get gas? Then we got distracted by music and food? Lame story, but it's all we had.

Hooray Christmas is saved.

~AM