I'm so so so glad that Thanksgiving is over. I spent it with my family and now my duties are over and I can just enjoy Christmas. We'll spend some time with the IL's, but this year really reminded me how crazy my family makes me and how crazy they are.
I'm so glad not to feel obligated to spend more time with them.
I am also glad thanksgiving is over! My MiL stresses me out with stupid comments and getting mad about little things like the time we were going to leaving to come home.
For Christmas all we have to do it go to the mountains with my family to ski and lounge and eat.
I hate Thanksgiving because it's all about food. I don't eat meat, which limits a lot of what I can have in the standard thanksgiving feast. With my family, it's no big deal. There are lots of options. With DH's family, everything has meat in it. They don't make an effort to help me out. And then they obsess over my lack of food intake in disgusting quantities. I don't need to eat three pounds of mashed potatoes and seven rolls.
Post by TrudyCampbell on Dec 3, 2013 10:20:15 GMT -5
Me and my H aren't exchanging gifts bc we bought a car but I still want him to get me something! He really won't though. He told me he's putting an ezpass in my stocking
I hate that we have to give gifts to BIL/SIL. They give to Ari so it only seems fair that we buy them something. I can't wait for them to have a baby so we stop giving them first and just give their kid a gift.
Post by orriskitten on Dec 3, 2013 10:38:11 GMT -5
I really want a dslr camera as the gift between me and H, but I don't think it's happening. I don't want anything else. So I'm not getting anything probably. Just more stuff, which I'm not asking for.
I don't think he has even thought of gifts. I haven't gotten him anything since I'm stupid and am still hoping the camera happens.
Post by lauranicole91 on Dec 3, 2013 10:39:36 GMT -5
I had a great thanksgiving with my family on the day of. However, I am so glad we spent our weekend in the hospital so we could skip out on thanksgiving part 2 with the ILs! The best part is we still scored all the leftovers(FIL dropped them off last night), but didn't actually have to spend time with his mother. Woohoo!
Post by lauranicole91 on Dec 3, 2013 10:41:39 GMT -5
Oh and my Christmas-y confession is that DH just informed me last night that he was going out to buy my gift. Fuck. I didn't think we were exchanging gifts because money is tight. He assured me it was cheap, but I have no idea what to get him. Grrr.
I don't know how all of you do it, having to buy for all your families and whatnot. If we happen to be spending the holidays with family, we do one big Dirty Santa for all of the adults. Nobody has to buy for anybody in particular, and there's usually a $20 limit. If we don't spend the holiday together, we don't exchange gifts.
I still send the grandparents little gifts, but they're all just tokens. I never spend more than $10 on each set of grandparents.
I tried gifting this bath set of free stuff we got when we stayed at a Ritz Carlton to my MIL. It looks fancy and it didn't say it was made for any hotel or anything. MH wouldn't let me.
I don't know how all of you do it, having to buy for all your families and whatnot. If we happen to be spending the holidays with family, we do one big Dirty Santa for all of the adults. Nobody has to buy for anybody in particular, and there's usually a $20 limit. If we don't spend the holiday together, we don't exchange gifts.
I still send the grandparents little gifts, but they're all just tokens. I never spend more than $10 on each set of grandparents.
I feel obligated. It's not a ton of people but enough to stress me out. We do all 4 our parents, 3 sibling sets, and 2 nieces and nephews.
I feel stupid getting gifts for our parents because both sets have way more money than we do, but I don't know how not to do it!
Post by creamsiclechica on Dec 3, 2013 10:49:10 GMT -5
Christmas costs us a FORTUNE for our families. It makes Matt dread it. I see his point. But then my family always goes way above and beyond so I feel bad not getting gifts. Vicious cycle.
And I still haven't shopped. I haven't even made a list. Well, we've bought for the kids some, but that's it. I was too focused on their outfits for every single event until now, lol.
Post by TrudyCampbell on Dec 3, 2013 10:50:06 GMT -5
My husband has gotten me some nice gifts but they are always things I specifically ask for or things from my amazon wish list. I'd love a nice surprise!
My husband has gotten me some nice gifts but they are always things I specifically ask for or things from my amazon wish list. I'd love a nice surprise!
I was kind of sad to find the framed photo of Ada I gave the ILs last Christmas shoved in a corner in their basement they never use. There weren't any photos of her in the main living areas. I don't know why I care but I do.
Post by The Foozzler on Dec 3, 2013 11:29:03 GMT -5
I love how stress free this time of year is because we don't celebrate Christmas, but I definitely feel some moments of jealousy. I feel like I am missing out on the whole spirit of things.
I love how stress free this time of year is because we don't celebrate Christmas, but I definitely feel some moments of jealousy. I feel like I am missing out on the whole spirit of things.
I feel this way too. Hanukkah is NBD. But I love all the Christmas all around - the lights, the trees on the street, the sales
We shopped the toys r us pre Black Friday sale and Macy is pretty much done. We got her some toys and the cozy coupe at Walmart. We are done w our nieces and nephews too. This is new to me as I'm a last minute shopper, now all I want to do is shop for her! I go to walmart and target and check out the toy aisles. I need to stop and start worrying about someone else!
My sister is coming home from the 15-24, she lives in Portland so she only comes back twice a year. I am afraid my family is going to try to get together twice now once while she's here and then once again after she leaves and it's actually Christmas. They are so weird, parents are divorced and they both insist on a Christmas with just us and them, and then a separate one with the extended family. It's too much already.
My dads family doesn't do gifts anymore except for the kids but my moms does and I hate it, I hate trying to find stuff for all my aunts and uncles and cousins. We say we want to stop this every year but then everyone just buys stuff anyway. We do a white elephant already in addition to all the regular gifts.
Me and my H aren't exchanging gifts bc we bought a car but I still want him to get me something! He really won't though. He told me he's putting an ezpass in my stocking
ugh, this sucks. H told me the same about the house. I still want a present!! And not a joint present like a new comforter
My confession is I'm so sad of the impact his food allergies are having on me. I always thought I wouldn't be that mom who changes everything bc of her kid. At thanksgiving everyone complained about how gross the pie was that it tasted like jello and I feel so bad that it has to be like that And we skipped a birthday party Sunday bc I was having anxiety over what he might find on the floor and I didn't sleep enough and couldn't handle going without DH (he had to work). Travel is my favorite thing to do and I dread it bc of the food now
I am dreading Christmas because of the sleeping arrangements. This past weekend we spent one night at my parents and it was a disaster. DD woke up inconsolable in her pack and play. I ended up taking her downstairs to sleep on a couch and didn't sleep more than an hour all night. I felt awful the next day. Originally we had planned on H being in the room with them and me sleeping on the couch so I could get a few hours of sleep at least. I hope our plan works out over xmas or I am going to be super crabby. Clearly it's all about me
I also continue to notice the huge difference in how much work H and I do with the kids when we are with his family vs. mine. When we are with my family, I get to sit and relax and play with them if I want. When we are with his family, we end up holding them the whole time, chasing them around, and keeping them out of trouble because they are scared of most people in H's family because they don't see them as much. And my MIL and FIL will play with them for a minute or two, and then get involved with a conversation somewhere, and juts up and walk away. Then I have to be all "Where's M and M?" "oh I thought they were right here." Hello? toddlers anyone?