"Surprise"

It's one of those stories that doesn't have to be drawn out, but I did it any way.

Besides Mr Smith buying up his emergency prep wish list end of year, we, and I mean I, decided we should do $20 "surprise" Christmas gifts for each other. $20 spent how we want since we normally might question the dollar spent, this would be just a "fun" way to think about each other. I suggested another measuring cup and then the shelves came up again and when a friend told me you could get some affordable IKEA ones, I jumped with excitement (2, 45in ones for $20 exact!). I told him his Christmas present would be just getting and installing them - instead of having to build them too. He said he had thought about that (obviously building them since IKEA isn't his go-to); I thought it was a win. You like that "surprise" suggestion? That's basically how it goes since Mr Smith doesn't appreciate the responsibility of finding a gift for someone. I get it because I don't either, I just figured a couple Star Wars t-shirts and candy could seal the deal on my end and I would appreciate him for making my children's bookshelves dream come true. I mean I brought it up daily so that he would be sure not to disappoint. I measured it out and and left tabs up on the computer… I talked, he ignored most of it.

Christmas Eve came and he was working. I was feeling like crap and didn't want to get out of bed and Lexi was getting on my nerves since she wouldn't nap. I called around 4 and told him he needed to come home…one of those calls. When he told me he would be working until 6 and we could just meet at his parent's for dinner… I was a little bit upset. My brother had later called to give me the surprise twin pregnancy news and between bad reception and Lexi wallering, I wanted a better opportunity to be excited. I wanted Mr Smith to be there instead of me calling him at work acting as if I'd save the surprise news, but I saved it for all of 2 sarcastic comments in a condemning undertone.  For a few minutes we were just excited, and then I realized I was still mad at him for "making me mad" on Christmas Eve. "I'm not going to your parents unless you pick us up" (my car was also struggling this week) was how it ended.  Needless to say, he comes home by 5 or something and we get ready to go to his parents. I remember specifically condemning his outfit choice as well, i.e. "do you not have jeans you can put on?" 

I walk in and apologize for our late, yet expected, entrance. It's all Eric's fault because that's how my pregnancy hormones roll (and because this time it was). We eat dinner. I'm all why did you go outside? And he gives me his line "didn't I tell ya?" with a smile letting me know something was up. But I didn't guess it then. Nor did I guess it when he was gone most of that evening (because he had already gotten my present from IKEA, right?). I had assumed he was upstairs with Lexi, but when his dad came down saying babysitting was over I was all… where did Mr Smith go? And then he came in from the garage and I knew. I knew his parents and siblings were lying to me that they had known what he was doing since 3PM that afternoon.  He was building my bookshelves. But of course my first question was - "so you couldn't just go to IKEA could you?" and then it was something like… "they look a little smaller than I said I wanted…" Isn't that a nice way to respond to all his hard work? But it's me, the person who hates surprises because she likes control and likes things exactly as expected or exactly as I told my husband who hears less than half of what I say. He told me he only saw the 21 inch versions and oh well, I get 4 - 23 inch versions. I do love that he handles my attitude like he should, in and out. Yet he will always deny his ability to listen to more than what he thinks I want. I then started asking him all the questions like, so you worked on these in your work pants? No, he said he changed back to come home, which is why he didn't have jeans at the house. I laugh. I asked him about his tools and he tells me about his planned trip to Home Depot that wasted time because they closed early and he had to go to Lowes. And then of course he had to stop working to pick me up instead of me driving over there. "You really thought you could surprise me?" "Well, I got this far and could have if you didn't follow me around everywhere or stayed home (on Christmas Eve?!)" Ha! He is a keeper.

He knows I get picky about the color of natural wood and since there is no way red oak should be painted white (*eye roll* I asked for something cheaper...), he made sure to get a fairly clear gloss. I think they turned out great and I'm even preferring the natural wood look on the wall. However, it took us awhile to get there. It took through the weekend to gloss them and pick them back up. And last minute he decided not to drill nails straight through but to add brackets to the back instead which took another two evenings. Even more measuring to get them on the wall, but alas, they made it. Three too many home depot/lowes visits (too much money is spent every time and I'm still asking to see the receipts), 

but they're beautiful. 

Moral of the story: My husband is awesome. But don't surprise me unless you know it's exactly what I want/need or at least pretend it didn't cost anything. Otherwise, I'm still struggling to fake my initial reactions to just be grateful. 

Next year we are just doing a couple's massage. And every year after that.