Why you Should Never Read Your Emails in Front of Your Children

Surrounded by my family in the living room, I opened an email and could not believe my eyes! I managed to kind of scream OH.MY.GOODNESS. a couple times before the message the email contained literally took my breathe away. 

BREATHE. BREATHE. BREATHE.

I should have kept my news to myself . And now I’m really kicking myself. But since I’d managed to suck all the air from the room with my gasp,  all eyes were intently on me. My family didn’t know if they should give me a minute to recover or grab the phone and dial 9-1-1.

What I did next was stupid. I blurted out the amazing news that I should not have uttered from my lips.  I HAD WON THE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY OFFERED VIA TODAY’S MAMA FROM GAMESTOP!

My family didn’t even know that I’d entered and to be honest, I certainly didn’t think I’d ever win. But my kids LOVE all things xBox, Wii and PSP and have a wish list a mile long,  as if I ever doubted. So I half-heartedly entered the contest, which happened to be a  fun holiday meme not expecting to win, but hoping…just maybe??? 

I tried to explain to my what I’d won to my family but they couldn’t quite understand my incoherent screeching. When the news finally clicked,  they thought surely it must be a mistake. So I read the email again. and again. I even had to visit the Today’s Mama website so they could read the original post themselves. They even wondered if she was a fake (sorry Erin) but I assured them if that was the case than it was quite an elaborate hoax. Especially since I was directed to her site through an email I’d received directly from GameStop.  That must have made them feel a little more hopeful. So they began to analyze each and every phrase.  An xBox 360 with 250GB and a Kinect!  A Nintendo Red Wii bundle. Three Nintendo Red DSi XL Bundles. AND…a $1000 dollar shopping spree!     

Now, if only I’d not opened this email in front of my family  - my kids would have been absolutely stunned on Christmas Day since we’d already told them we weren’t buying a lot of presents. 

Of course, they are still pretty stunned and I have a feeling I’ll still enjoy the look on their faces when our package arrives.

Thank you to Today’s Mama and to GameStop- I guess you know where we’ll finish our Christmas shopping!