Plotting and Planning...

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December is a a crazy time for our kids... well, the end of the year is a crazy time (and a less than fun time for our wallets...). Both of our kids birthdays are scattered around the end of year period... and there are a number of festive events which means that they are spoilt with presents from the mythical creatures, parents, friends and relatives.

We do try to keep every event smallish... and they are great kids... in that they are happy with what they get and aren't demanding about the things that wish for (even if they don't get them...). However, every parent really has this desire to give them something that is in line with what they are wishing for... well, at least we do! So, it is a tough exercise in willpower to keep our exuberance in check... which we mostly do!

So, each event in the festive season (thank god, we don't also celebrate Three Kings... we have friends who have Sinterklaas, Christmas and Three Kings...)... still requires a degree of planning and plotting. From the gradual accumulation of presents through to the actual surprise delivery of the actual goods...

The accumulation phase is starting to get a little bit trickier... our oldest is starting to get a little bit clued in on what is happening. Partly, it is the rumours that are swirling around school... and the fact that she is a touch more observant in her older age. Still, she is still pretty naive in many ways...

This year, we really had to be quite careful with the lead up to the Sinterklaas Pakjes-avond... as she had it on rumour from her best friend that the boots were being filled by parents and not by the Pietjes. Still, we managed to deflect and distract... and she formed her own opinion without us needing to lie directly... or tell the truth either!

However, she has been wondering why we were receiving so many packages in such a short time.... to which I answered with the learning about Black Friday and Cyber Monday events. A story that was further enhanced by showing her my new monitor which was a toy that I got for myself! Interestingly enough, she hasn't asked what happened to the other boxes... after all, the monitor popped out of only one box... and not a few! Shhhhh.... Distract and deflect....

So, this afternoon... we are already plotting and planning our Sinterklaas pakjes-avond delivery of gifts for the Dutch present day (December 5th). At one point in time, we were considering missing this... but our kids go to a Dutch school, and we are trying to integrate... so it would be horrible if she was the only kid at school to not get presents... still, on our first try... we screwed it up by doing it on the wrong night! Ooops....

The trick for this year is that we are likely (due to my wife's work commitments...) to need to have the delivery happen in the afternoon... so, we have to construct a story about why it is the afternoon and not in the evening. Our simple story is that we are among some of the first houses being visited by Sinterklaas... so, thus the earlier delivery!

However, it does involve a bit of a trick with the actual delivery of the presents to the door... as most of our neighbours are working... and the remaining ones being a touch too old to knock the door, dump the presents and run away without being seen.

So, our current solution (to be enacted in a couple of hours...) is to have the presents stored in the garden shed. I bring back the oldest from her half day at school... my wife takes the kids upstairs to play.... and I will dump the presents in our backyard garden... near the back door. I don't think we can do the doorbell... seeing as it is on the wrong side.. but perhaps we will do it anyway... and then there will be the disappointment that there is nothing there. However, when they go to the living room, they will see the pakjes out the back! Well... that is the plan... thankfully it isn't raining!

So, like all plots and conspiracies... the secret is in keeping the plan simple, and restricted to as few people as possible.... probably not publishing the idea to a public blockchain on the internet before it is enacted would also be a good idea... but my youngest can't read (I'm typing this next to her.... how is that for audactious!)... and my oldest doesn't know of this dark corner of the internet!

Hopefully all goes smoothly... the next stop is 25th!