Lucy's Journal

Lucy’s Journal — December 24th

Dear Journal,

Today was officially declared Operation: Wrap Everything Without Anyone Losing a Tail Feather. The declaration lasted approximately four minutes before chaos began.

It started innocently enough. I laid out the wrapping paper, tape, ribbons, bows, and a very optimistic pair of scissors. Peanut immediately took this as an invitation to become King of the Crinkly Paper Mountain. He flopped directly onto the largest sheet, eyes half-lidded, daring anyone to challenge him. I tried to slide the paper out from under him, which resulted in Peanut sliding with it, knocking over a roll of tape and pretending it was all part of his plan.

Kiwi, seeing tape involved, assumed this was a personal challenge. He swooped in like a tiny green engineer, stuck one foot to the dispenser, and began waddling across the table yelling victory chirps while dragging three feet of tape behind him. Peanut watched this with deep suspicion, as if tape monsters were a known enemy.

Then came the quackers.

No one knows how, but they got into the ribbon bag. Suddenly the living room looked like it was attacked by festive spaghetti. One quacker ran through wearing a red ribbon like a superhero cape. Another attempted to eat a bow and looked personally offended when it fought back.

At some point, I realized I had wrapped my own coffee mug instead of the gift next to it.

Peanut knocked over the box of ornaments (nothing broke—Christmas magic or pure luck), Kiwi tried to climb the Christmas tree “to supervise,” and the quackers formed what I can only describe as a suspicious council under the table, quacking quietly and plotting something.

Despite the hijinx, the presents eventually got wrapped—some a little crooked, some suspiciously lightweight, and one gently rattling (thanks, Peanut). The room smelled like pine, tape, and impending cookies.

As we collapsed in a heap—me on the couch, Peanut purring like he personally saved Christmas, Kiwi preening tape fuzz off his feathers, and the quackers asleep in a ribbon nest—I realized this is exactly how Christmas Eve is supposed to be.

Messy. Loud. Ridiculous. Perfect.

Now if everyone could just agree not to unwrap everything before morning, that would be great.

—Lucy 🎄