Christmas came early this year at our house.
It was going to come early, seeing as how we leave on the 22nd and didn't intend to schlep our gifts on a plane to Texas, then Albuquerque, then back. We thought we'd wait until Raj got his schedule for this rotation today and see when his days off were. Except then I suggested that we decorate the tree last night and Raj said his gift to me would go well with tree decorating.
Internet, it takes very little persuasion to get me to open gifts early.
You may or may not recall that around these parts, Christmas gift giving is serious competition. The giver of the more thoughtful gift gets bragging rights for the entire next year. We open presents, choose a winner, and then commence smacktalk regarding the next year. Coming into this Christmas, we were tied one to one, making things all the more heated.
Last year, we set a $20 limit in order to make it more challenging. This year, we lowered it to ten. As it turns out, you can't really buy anything at all for ten dollars. Including one of these prints that I wanted to have made for Raj with the places we've been together on it.
I still think those are a great deal at just $22, but they weren't in my price range. Fortunately, I discovered Wordle, where you can make custom word clouds. So I put in all of the places we've been and the words "I love you from here to" and got this.
When I told Katie about it and mentioned how I'd need to buy an ink cartridge before I could print it, she offered to print it for me at work. Which she did. In three different sizes, each on two different qualities of paper. Because "there's WINNING involved! (If only vicarious winning.) (I am the valedictorian of Christmas gift assistance!)" She really is. And it was perfect since I didn't know yet which size of frame I'd be able to get.
Not one with a mat, as it turned out, but this was ok because I had Pinterest on my side! Pinterest which told me that I could make my own mat by cutting a cereal box and then wrapping it in a map! Mine is actually a piece of posterboard since even the Raisin Bran box wasn't big enough for the 10x13 frame I bought. And here is the finished product.
But would it stand up to Raj's gift? The ornaments he hand-painted for me, that is?
In 2009, our first year together, we went to the opera at the Kennedy Center and sea kayaked out to the Mokes off Oahu.
2010 included snowshoeing. This ornament not only represents that, but recreates this photo:
2011 included seeing the cherry blossoms
and the redwoods in Muir Woods
As much as it pains us, we've decided to call it a draw. That doesn't mean we've gone soft though. Oh no, now that the score is tied at 1-1-1, next year's competition is really for all the marbles.
Planning begins...now.