NOT a Stealth Operator

Well, as Christmas fast approaches, thoughts of the Savior, snowy days in southern Utah, where I grew up, hot chocolate, Christmas music, and many other things come to mind.  Something else that comes to mind is presents, and how I used to spend hours poking around under the tree trying to figure out what mine were.  Admittedly, I have to acknowledge that I even peeled back the tape on a few in my day to take a quick peek.  Then, very deftly, I sealed them back up. 

Fast forward 30 years to the present day.  Many of you know my son, Jesse.  However, for those who don't, let's just put it like this--not a subtle little guy.  While I found it more prudent to peel back the tape and then seal it back up, with no one being the wiser, he has a different approach.  The other day, we found out what that approach is. 

We returned from Thanksgiving with several presents from grandparents which now will sit under the tree and drive Jesse crazy for a month.  Aunt Barbie had indicated on one of her presents that they could open "before" Christmas.  Ever since opening that present, Jesse has been trying to convince us that this is what was intended for all presents.  He even went so far as to write a note (which apparently was supposed to be from Grandma Nellie) and "carefully" attached it to one of his gifts which said something along the lines of "Grandma says to open before Christmas."  I think that note is still attached, the hope being that Ang or I will at some point believe it and let him open that present. 

His next strategy was much less subtle.  The other day, Ang caught him headed to the bathroom (one of the few doors in the house with a lock on it) with a handful of presents and some masking tape.  Again, not the most subtle guy in the world.  Apparently to him, tape is tape.  Nevermind that scotch tape was used on the present orginally.  I believe, though he never admitted it, that the plan was to "carefully" unwrap the presents, see what they were, and then tape them back up, no one being the wiser (because there is no chance we'd have noticed that masking tape had replaced scotch tape on the presents in question).

So, what can be gleaned from all of this:  1) never, and I mean never, leave Jesse in the room alone with a bunch of presents, and 2) while I am not sure what he will grow up to be, I am pretty sure it will not be a stealth, covert operative.