It’s Christmas Eve, y’all!

We did our ONE gift for the night, and I have to send kudos to my sister-in-law for the absolute most awesome fake-out ever.

Alannah has been shaking the box with her name on it ever since it got here, absolutely CONVINCED that it was a CD, and if she shook the box *just right* maybe she would psychically figure out which CD it was (but PLEASE gawd let it be Kelly Clarkson, please?).

Folks, my brother is a Baptist Preacher. His wife is a Very Fitting Example of a Pastor’s Wife.

I don’t think they even know who Kelly Clarkson is.

She tore off the ribbon and paper. It was a cake mix box taped shut. She ran for the box knife and sliced through it like Michael Myers.

There was another box inside – this time an Altoids tin. I started giggling insanely, singing “You gotta box of miiiiints” at her.

She was NOT amused.

She opened the Altoids tin. Inside was a business card and an envelope folded up a billion times over. I started singing “You didn’t get any miiiiiiints”.

I got glared at.

She unfolded the envelope carefully, with a frowny inquisitive look at it, hoping something coooool would magically fall out of the folds. Can ya guess what happened next?

The envelope was sealed with more tape.

With a mighty roar of frustration that only a hormonal pre-teen could muster, she shredded the envelope with her bare hands.

You’d think it was a telephone book with the effort she used.

So after all that, what in the world could POSSIBLY be in the envelope?

A gift card to The Evil Empire.