Dude, where's our Xmas gifts?!!

As I wrote in the post above, our family Christmases are always surrounded with lots of people so that when it comes time to open up presents, chaos almost breaks out in the form of lost Xmas presents.  This year it was moi and my cat who fell victim to the lost present's bandit.  With over 20 adults and over 20 children gathered at Mom's when we open gifts, it can easily be that someone will accidentally take someone else's gift by mistake or it can be accidentally thrown away.  Each year we separate every one in such a way that each person has her/his own little space for which she/he may open up gifts.  For the most part it works out okay except for the one or two gifts which get lost in the shuffle somehow.  This year, I thought I was being "slick-Willy" by retrieving silently into a corner where the foyer turns into the living room.  All the furniture had been placed back onto different walls to give us more floor space so all could spread about and such.  My Mom hates the look of furniture backed onto walls, but for this day, we opt for that arrangement for obvious reasons.  Anyway since I thought my gifts would be safe, after I opened up all my stuff I left it carefully placed in said corner and began to assist with putting trash into bags so we could control the amount of litter in the room(s).  I even helped my great-nephew, J.J., pack away his presents.  Yes, I even helped him with his UT Longhorn stuff; some of which Sara and I bought him since we support collegiate interest of all kids in our families even if it is not Texas Tech. 

(on a tangent...We just want the kids to go to college, but I am happy and proud to say that 24 out of 25 nieces, nephews (great & great-great) are Tech fanatics.  Especially Rudy, Erica, Felicia, Alex and Gabby they will not start any smack-talk but if anyone is stupid enough to start in on them and try to put down anything Texas Tech, watch out.  Yes, indeedy, their Auntie Dora is proud of them for that!)

Anyway, my gift and my cat Caty's gifts went missing.  The weird thing was that both gifts were from my sister, Eva, and my niece, Felicia.  Even funnier---both gifts ended up being accidentally taken by the same family member my other sis', Betty, but she did not find them until they went back to their home.  Eva's hubby Philip retrieved my gift that same night, but we are still waiting for Betty's son, Rudy (my nephew) to bring Caty's gift over.  At least we know where it is and who has it.