A Gift-Napping Victim Speaks Out

I have a new favorite thing about Christmas. That is, this holiday sure makes for great blogging material! I have tons of things to talk about now! So, stay tuned for the next week or so, I may update often!
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Help!!! I was gift-napped! That's the only way I can describe it. I am sure this has happened to some of you as well, but that sure didn't make my reaction any more dignified or calm.

Picture this scene: the family gathers for a belated Christmas. After a wonderful feast, we're all sitting in our usual gift-opening spots. Me, DaddyCat and kids on one side of the room, my Aunt and Uncle on their usual sofa, Mother and Father in their chairs, and my sister and her family across from us. My son, Wildcat, hands out the gifts--barely able to contain his excitement at opening the last of our week-long Christmas "extrava-gift-tanza." (Yes, I seem to like to make up words these days, don't I?)

The presents were distributed orderly and we each admired our stacks. The kids started in opening theirs, as we tried to keep them calm and opening one gift at a time, making sure they thanked the gift-giver before moving to the next box. I happened to notice my mother admiring the large box we'd wrapped for her, which contained a boombox/CD player for her craft room. This was something she'd directly asked me for at Thanksgiving and I had actually gone right out and bought while we were there, because they had it on sale the day after Turkey Day. I had been wanting to give it to her since then, knowing how much she wanted it and would use it. Because I don't live near my folks, when I find something they really want I am really happy because I usually have to guess.

I began helping my Miss Kitty open her boxes. She went from admiring the pretty boxes, to gingerly tearing the paper, to frantically shouting "Oh-pen! Oh-pen! Oh-pen!" when she saw what was inside. So, in the midst of this insanity, while trying to keep up with who had gotten what for my 6-year-old AND trying to take pictures, I missed a sly move by my sister.

Moments later, I glanced over to find that my larger box was now under another box very similar in shape and size. At that moment, my Mom grabbed the new box and opened it. She beamed with happiness at the boombox/CD player and gushed a sincere thank you to my sister and her husband. Still not processing what had happened, I thought she must have thought that our gift was from my sister. For a flash of a moment, I felt angry that my sister and her husband were not stepping in to say that wasn't their gift to her.

Then, I realized it. We had been gift-napped! Below the wrapping and box of her newly opened boombox, was our package...still unopened. My sister shot nervous looks at me and avoided direct eye-contact. As my Mom opened ours, I couldn't help but blurt out "It is the SAME THING. I have the receipt." I didn't shout it, but I was obviously aggravated. Then, in a lack-of-grace moment, I turned to my husband and quietly bickered. "She KNEW we got that for her! I can't believe she DID that!" It wasn't loud enough for everyone to hear, though I know my Aunt and Uncle did.

Now, you might be saying I shouldn't assume this was a sneaky move. It was probably a weird coincidence. But, what you don't know is that my sister was with me when we shopped after Thanksgiving. She asked multiple times what we were getting my Mom for Christmas. I told her, and then later my husband showed her as we gathered up our gift haul for wrapping before my parents arrived. She SO KNEW that was our gift.

Of course, she then back-peddled apologeticall , saying "Oh, I completely forgot that you got that." We played the "No, Mom, I have the receipt too so take mine back" game a few times. My brother-in-law must have seen my frustration. (I'll admit, one of my biggest shortcomings is not being able to hide my emotions very well.) In an attempt to either smooth things over with a joke, or to completely ridicule me, he turned to me and with a smile said, "You know your sister told me she knew you were getting that and she was getting it anyway." I tried to get a chuckle out, even though I felt like telling him that he didn't BEGIN to know what my sister was capable of, and we moved on. My sister then kissed my ass the rest of the holiday, and I avoided her like the plague. My Mom later told me that she knew what had happened and she was sorry. She kept our gift, because quite frankly it was a much nicer CD player and cost a lot more, and it was all over.

But, this gift-napping thing really stinks. You have to know my sister and her history with gift-giving, or should I say lack of gift giving or when she does give a lack of thought into the gift. She doesn't care to spend any time shopping. She will do the easiest and cheapest thing possible. She didn't want to have to think of a gift for our Mom, so she stole mine. And, in doing that, she stole the joy I might have gotten at getting my Mom something she really wanted. She got the smile and the gushing hugs of thank you. Instead, I got the awkward moment and the well-meaning thank you by my Mom trying to smooth things over. Nice.

Have you ever been gift-napped or guilty of gift-napping yourself? If so, share and make me feel better! Less negative holiday updates will be posted soon, I promise!