Special Delivery

On Saturday night I decided to get a jump start on my Father's Day shopping. I figured I should plan ahead --- we may be having a new baby in the next couple of weeks.

I surfed online to one of my husband's favourite sites and selected my purchases. With a few clicks of the mouse I was done. I love internet shopping!

On Monday morning I received an e-mail verifying my order had been shipped from the States.

On Tuesday afternoon the doorbell rang.

"Somebody's here!!! Mommy, Mommy!" my preschooler shouted as he ran down the hall. Any visitor at our door is a big event.

A delivery man in a yellow uniform handed me a rectangular box. My boys watched, transfixed, as I signed the touch screen and received my parcel.

"What is that, Mommy?" asked my three-year-old.

"It's Daddy's Father's Day present," I replied vaguely. (I have learned that my young man is not trustworthy secret-keeper.) I walked upstairs with the intention of hiding the box away, unopened.

"But, Mommeeeee," my son complained when I saw I didn't intend to open the package, "you need to open it!"

"Why?" I asked, "it's a surprise."

"No it's not," he countered, "it's a pizza!!"

I then realized that the only delivery men my son had ever met at our door came bearing pizza. He (reasonably) assumed that the cardboard box I held in my hand contained only one thing --- a tasty pizza pie.

I could see my little man was rapidly heading towards a meltdown. How could his mommy hide a pizza from him?!

I did the first thing I could think of ... I let him sniff the box. For a long time.

He took in long draughts of cardboard and ink, and was finally satisfied that the package indeed did not conceal deep dish goodness.

Crisis averted.

And now a terrific Father's Day present is safely hidden away until June 18th. I wonder if I can find a pizza box to wrap it in ....