Monday, February 15, 2010

It's hard to be a guy

February 13th is The Girl's birthday.

She's been dating Son #1 for a couple of weeks.

Pressure's on.

Son #1 woke me up, on the 13th, desperate for advice. As he was explaining that he needed to come up with a birthday gift AND a valentine's gift for the most amazing girl in the world, and it had to show that he cared about her and not look like some generic bullshit last minute gift (and it wasn't, he had been stewing and polling friends and generally freaking out), The Girl's friend texted him a reminder that Feb 14th was also their TWO WEEK ANNIVERSARY.

The pressure was ON, OK? "I'm not gonna give her some dumb teddy bear holding a heart, OK? I want her to know I really LIKE her."

We went to the bank and then shopping, where he bought her a big heart of chocolates for V-day (easy) and 3 CDs for her birthday--all carefully chosen to match up with her likes, her whims, the things she's said over the past couple of weeks. I showed him the magic of the Gift Bag And Tissue, so he didn't have to kill himself wrapping stuff. (Teach a boy to use a gift bag, and he'll give pretty presents the rest of his life).

He wanted to take her out after her birthday party, but her father doesn't trust guys, so instead he spent both days with her family, including her grandmother, who has no teeth but talks anyway, so he had no idea what she was saying most of the time.

He totally went the extra mile, as far as I could tell.

He came home with a teddy bear. I am assuming that was her gift to him. It is sitting on the pile of musical gear in the living room.

Yeah, guys, we suck. Sorry.

6 comments:

Jill said...

Yeah, but I think the onus is really on the guys on this holiday anyway, isn't it? It's actually sort of surprising that he got a bear at all. (Though I've gotten my guy a Valentine all three years we've been together).

I responded to you on my comment section on how I never really realized the stress guys were under for Valentine's day. But I guess it's a fair trade - we get the depression and anxiety over whether or not we're getting a Valentine, they get the pressure of choosing a Valentine.

Anyway, glad he came out of it all ok and it sounds like he was really, really sweet about the whole thing. You should be proud. :-)

Anonymous said...

Geez, if he treated us half as nicely as he treats his girlfriends who he's known for two weeks, he'd be brother of the year.

-Son Number Two

Anonymous said...

So are you saying furry handcuffs and lube would not have been appropriate gifts?

Christine said...

Jill-Yeah, he is calling it Kiss Your Girlfriend's Ass Day. Honestly, I would be surprised if this particular Girl lasted long. He seems irritated with her most of the time.

#2--Yeah, well, clearly that is not a competition he is in to win.

Knot--Not between two people who each still live with their parents, my dear. The Girl's Dad is about a hair away from cleaning his shotgun on the porch every time Son #1 goes over there, and we all know I am not ready to be Grandma.

L. Wayne Precht said...

A teddy bear? He cleaned up.

Girls get a pass on having to work too hard for Valentine's Day it seems, he should get used to it; the rest of his life will be less stressful if he gives up the concept of "fair" when it comes to dating.

I got a card. To be fair, all she got was a card and a box of chocolates (chocolate is never a wrong move). Well, I suppose I did get more than a card, but...we won't go into the rest, but you know how the story ends.

Jill said...

That's probably good that he's irritated most of the time, considering the shot gun...


L. Wayne - What concept of fair when it comes to dating?!?!?!?! (or as my aunt says, "Fair died"). Also, I just want to put in a plug for the chocolate being GOOD chocolate!