Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Christmas Unwrapped

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I wish I had the pleasure of having the secret I once had.

Before Christmas I would sneak downstairs and gather my gifts from under the tree. I would carefully unwrap each of them, taking a sneak peek! Then I would re-wrap them putting them back under the tree just as they were.

Then on Christmas I would act joyfully surprised when I would re-opened my gifts! Terrible wasn’t I? I did this sneaky thing from the time I was a wee kid, until I got caught. Since my family knows my secret they do not put presents under the tree anymore, but wait ’til Christmas day to give them to me.

Do any of you want to supply my bad habit?

PS….This morning My amazing Frenchhusband brought me morning tea! I am not kidding! I am in Happy Shock-land! Yann said, "Merry Christmas bright and early just the way you like it!!" (If you read Marie-Noelle’s comment yesterday you will have to guess what color I had on to know what kind of tea I had this morning.)

Photo: Torn vintage music paper on a silver candy tray….

Comments

51 responses to “Christmas Unwrapped”

  1. meredith

    Opening presents before Christmas, you are a coquine!

    Reply
  2. Marie-Noëlle

    “Plain” or “natural”(about tea, of course!!!)…

    Reply
  3. cruststation

    Hahaa, he does read your blog 🙂 what a lovely morning you must have had and congrats to Frenchhusband for listening to the request. I enjoy the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning so I try not to peek…

    Reply
  4. Tara Larsen Chang

    Oh! Lucky! Hot tea brought right to you (hopefully) made just to your tastes… What a good man your husband sounds.

    Reply
  5. nel

    I think it’s a passage of childhood to take a sneak peak at Christmas presents…I still do if given half the chance LOL. So happy you got your morning cuppa, such a quick learner is your husband…Nel

    Reply
  6. Di Overton

    I used to do the self same thing when I was a kid. I miss not wanting to anymore. I must be getting old. Oh and well done Yann.

    Reply
  7. Jeanne

    How sweet and special are the moments shared in love.
    My Mom loved Christmas and once we did not believe in Santa any more (NEVER)
    I still believe she would give us most of our gifts before Christmas as she was soooooooo excited. How wonderful your stories are.
    Keep sharing the love Sugar Plum
    I love you!
    Jeanne
    Merry Christmas to you and your beloved family!

    Reply
  8. blackbird

    I was going to say something romantic about him, but the truth is that, while romantic, he is also a good husband…who reads your blog.

    Reply
  9. patpaulk

    You are a mischievious little devil aren’t you?? Very good for Frenchhusband!!

    Reply
  10. endment

    What a delightful wake up present (unwrapped of course) 🙂

    Reply
  11. Rich Buck

    naughty girl..that is funny how you would have to act surprised – too bad they didn’t have video cameras then – so people could judge your acting ability (maybe it was filmed though?)

    Reply
  12. Shannon

    You were a naughty little girl for sneaking those peeks 😉
    I had to see for myself that there was no Santa because I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t quite sure. My parents sent me to bed, and I said I was afraid of having a nightmare, so I asked them to keep the door open (they left it open just a crack). I still had a straight shot of the Christmas tree from my room and I forced myself to stay awake.
    And FINALLY, I saw for myself the truth.

    Reply
  13. Sheila

    I have been known to open and rewrap gifts too. I must be getting old, since I no longer do this. Tea in bed..what luxury ! Good for Yann !!

    Reply
  14. Shannon

    I forgot to give a big cheer to FH for giving you you’re gift just the way you like it.
    Only the best for sweet Corey 🙂

    Reply
  15. GEL

    Ah mon blog cherie,
    Je don’t know vous well enough to guess quelle lingerie vous etes wearing…or not.. 😉 (Ok, future posts will dispense w/ mon franglais)

    Reply
  16. constance

    Dear Corey,
    I too was a peeker. My mom tried to come up with ingenious methods of keeping me from knowing which presents were mine. One year all of my gifts were labeled in code and stacked in a large bag which she kept in her and my dad’s room. When my mom went to pick my dad up at the street car station. Left alone, I went about my mission. I had already conqured the top gifts (to include a snow white watch with yellow strap and a matching figurine ). To my dismay as I dug a bit deeper, the bag tore along one of the seems, and all of my gifts now lay upon the floor in a large pile. I immediatly burst into tears.
    The thing I remember my mom saying is “for that, you’ll not be getting the Snow White watch for Christmas”.
    But on Christmas Eve when we opened our gifts my surprise was…. the watch.
    I gave up peeking years ago. And I don’t know what happended to make me a non-peeker anymore. What a funny memory.
    SO GLAD YOU HAD YOUR TEA PARTY THIS MORNING!

    Reply
  17. swampgrrl

    what a lovely way to wake up .. to tea delivered by your husband. ahhh, i love to hear about that.
    and yes, one year i peeked. i felt so guilty afterward that i cried when i opened my presents that year (that’s what being an irish catholic will do).

    Reply
  18. MB

    I had a feeling Yann would do this before long, because he just that sort of man and you are just that sort of woman. Tres bien fait, monsieur, tres bien! (And what a little rascal you were, Corey — could any of that have survived the years in between? 😉

    Reply
  19. annieelf

    My first thought was “hah, he does read your blog.” My first guess? The cotton.

    Reply
  20. Melba

    These two posts were so lovely!!!
    I would love for my husband to bring me a pot of tea. But our children would have to be sleeping over their Nana’s or kept in the other room so they do not spill it all on me!
    I am drinking some tea as I write this. Just some store bought kind, I need to replenish our supply at the tea shoppe.

    Reply
  21. Ulla

    Oh how wonderful Corey! Christmas gifts come early even in France!!! Yann is a treasure! My mum had a ‘gift closet’ where all presents were kept until the time to give them away. My brother and I would get a chair and take peeks every now and then, only problem was, that we didn’t always know who they were for, but the thrill was the same!!!

    Reply
  22. Casey

    The photograph is so lovely… 🙂

    Reply
  23. carolyn

    I used to / still do exactly the same. Oh the shame if caught!

    Reply
  24. la vie en rose

    yay for the french hubby!
    i used to make little rips in the gift wrap to see if i could get enough of a peek to figure out what was inside.

    Reply
  25. my backyard

    funny about your gift opening habit!
    I’m lucky to have a husband who regularly brings me my morning drink in bed.

    Reply
  26. Amber

    Boy, that worked well! Maybe you should try and think what else you could write here that you want from Hottie French Husband as an early gift! (wink wink wink) 😉
    🙂

    Reply
  27. Mrs.Staggs

    What a guy! He’s made me laugh with his comment about being early!
    What a wonderful start to your day!

    Reply
  28. GoGo

    Ha. I love that you did that. That wasn’t going to happen in my home. My parents, having 3 children, could here the silent removal of tape and yell out “What are you doing?”
    Also,read the tea post and am glad the hubby brought the tea. How beautiful.

    Reply
  29. Karla

    I read Marie-Noelle’s comments about pairing the tea with the undies. Wonder what it means when he brings you tea in a clear mug? HMMM??? Uh oh!
    Sexy French husband who brings you tea in bed to match your underwear – some girls have all the luck!

    Reply
  30. Star

    The nerve–peeking before Christmas morning! 😉
    You must feel pampered after receiving your gift early. Did he understand that it wasn’t just a single request, but the wish to be surprised rather regularly? I’d say he’s a real keeper, Corey.

    Reply
  31. Lorene Silva

    Corey,
    Cute story!
    And Wow you got tea this morning. That is wonderful and you must have been so delighted. You lucky girl!!!
    Enjoy!
    Lorene

    Reply
  32. miss*R

    I will supply your habit Corey ~ but what does one buy someone who lives in France? who has access to all the best old stuff, all the best lingerie, all the best of most things? *sigh* I have been wracking my poor addled brain as to what I could send you – ahh!! a light bulb moment- I know, I know (inner child jumping gleefully!)

    Reply
  33. susanna

    French Husband reads your blog! And he made your morning wish come true! Il est un très bon mari! A il vous a dit son souhait de matin? ;p (I’m using an online translator so hopefully my e-French makes sense!).

    Reply
  34. Teresa Sheeley

    You are delightful!! Sounds like your family keeps you very well grounded. 🙂 I am glad you got such a sweet suprise!

    Reply
  35. mary

    I remember looking all over the house for the where the gifts were hidden. Never were they put under the tree before Christmas Eve when Santa came! My bro and sisters span over 15 years, so we always had a young one who still believed in Santa! Hey, your husband did a very nice thing!!

    Reply
  36. Cat

    I only peeked one year, and missed the SURPRISE, so I never did again!
    Your picture of the torn sheet music is about how I feel right now… a bit shredded after the move and into the Holidays. Consequently, I haven’t been getting to the blogs as much as I like to. It’s a joy to stop by yours tonight.

    Reply
  37. Colette

    There’s nothing like a husband who brings you your morning tea. Mine brought me my morning coffee every single day of our marriage, made exactly the way I liked it, in my favorite coffee cup. And he was a tea-drinking Irishhusband!
    I love that still life. Did you create it?

    Reply
  38. herhimnbryn

    Oh you have taken me back. I was 6 or 7 and standing infront of the Christmas tree in my nightdress early in the morning. Cold feet and the fire dying in the grate. I did not unwrap, just picked up parcels and smelt the wrapping paper!

    Reply
  39. diana

    frenchhusband sounds like very good man !

    Reply
  40. Blondie

    Damn those French men! Always with something up their sleeve!

    Reply
  41. Shelley

    Corey,
    To funny,, i too was a christmas peeker. I opened them in the bathroom one by one.Until the day my first husband said,, the bow is put on sideways.Shelley you opened this up!!!!!we were having a christmas party at our home. in front of everyone he said that.that was the last day i peeked i was so embarrassed.
    OOOLAlA french husband!!!!!

    Reply
  42. Julie

    Absolutely horrible of you! lol
    Your husband is a sweetie.

    Reply
  43. Rethabile

    Not coffee?
    In Paris it’s coffee all the way, in bistros and cafés, even in breakfast bedrooms. I guess the south of France is different after all.

    Reply
  44. Linda Harre

    You are such a silly duck! and so painfully honest! I love it…………..I think my youngest son used to do the same thing, but I never caught him…tee…hee

    Reply
  45. Jone

    What a fun read. It reminds me of my daughter and gives me inspiration to write for this week’s prompt.

    Reply
  46. simple me

    I’m afraid I always like to wait and be surprised. A little like a game I make with myself.

    Reply
  47. JanePoe (aka Deborah)

    ah, your lovely french husband came through – bravo!! as for sneeking peaks at gifts, I never did, as the surprise & anticipation was the most delightful part! peace, JP

    Reply
  48. –erica

    He is too good!

    Reply
  49. Carol

    Oh my now that was fast lol So he’s really reading your blog regularly! What a darling!

    Reply
  50. pinar

    hey .. I suppose you rewarded him.. =))

    Reply
  51. Alison Whittington

    Wow! Tea brought to you… that’s wonderful.
    As for the Christmas presents, as much as I hate waiting, I like surprises even more (such a paradox, I know). So I wouldn’t unwrap… but I would lift, heft and shake my Christmas presents and try to guess.

    Reply

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