Gearing up... we can do this, people!

[#2ontheway]

I know lots of us are gearing up for challenging in-law (or primary family) time.

My MIL has some bona fide mental health issues. I know she loves my kids, but O.M.G. is it HARD to navigate her. she is truly crazy. CRAZY.

I will be drinking and knitting a LOT.

My DH is useless because he's pretty much just checked out.

I wish we weren't heading home and suspect this will be the last time. My family is great but DH's is just too hard.

I've read great advice on these boards and for that I'm very grateful.

Just want to throw out a CHEERS to everyone else who is kind of dreading this and best wishes that we can all focus on what's important and just love on our kids!!!!!

[WitMom]

Cheers- Pass the wine and knitting needles. That's what will get me through, too.

[Simon]

Count me in. I thought we had a really good handle on this year, limits in place and good contingency plans, then life happened and the dates were changed so now we have an extra 60 hours together. I will probably not make it through without blowing my top at some point. I will try very hard, but those extra hours have weird logistics that mean a lot of extra work for me and people invading my space in ways that I wasn't counting on. Bah humbug.

[wildfire]

Our present to MIL (who lives with us while we try to find another arrangement for her) this year was helping to pay for a plane ticket for her to visit her other son in another state. For a month.

Best Christmas present to me!!

[Twoboos]

Lifting a glass to everyone.

I get MIL, SIL and her live-in boyfriend, and her two sons (the 10 year old is obnoxious), all of us at SIL's house for 7 days. Seven of us share one bathroom with shower while SIL and BF have their own.

MIL can't handle loud so she'll be wearing her noise canceling headphones and read while her 4 grandchildren go at it. (And she'll "cry" for the rest of the year about not seeing them - helllooooo.)

I definitely need to find something to do out of the house... ugh.

Pass the bottle!!!

[Twoboos]

Our present to MIL (who lives with us while we try to find another arrangement for her) this year was helping to pay for a plane ticket for her to visit her other son in another state. For a month.

Best Christmas present to me!!

This made me LOL. Merry Christmas to you!!

[almostmom]

I'm right there with you all! I have pretty good in-laws, but we all head to their house in Maine that is not big enough to celebrate the holidays. 10 of us in that house, with the wind blowing outside so no one wants to go anywhere, is hard. And in-laws are getting older, so everything is exhausting. I like to cook, but I also like to feel like I'm part of a team, which is not always the case there. SIL doesn't do much, but they now has a 5-year old and a 6-month old, so she will be legitimately busy. And when she wants to nap, which is every day at least once, we will take over watching those kids (she also sleeps until at least 10 every day). And now BIL just broke his hand, so can't cook, clean, change a diaper, or give a bottle. So we will be doing everything it seems, taking care of their kids and ours, cooking most of the meals, trying to get everything ready for the holiday, while trying to fit in a few moments to read a book and wrap a million presents. It is not vacation, so it kills me to use my vacation time for it! It's all about perspective, and I will definitely be chugging the wine. Luckily, everyone else does too, so that's good. And then going to bed as early as I can with some sobriety left to watch Master of None in bed...

[trales]

We have pre bought tickets and have one outing planned for everyday. I sounds exhausting, but is way less exhausting than sitting around with crazy. Good luck everyone!

[lalasmama]

I semi-dodged the bullet this year!

SIL's oldest son went to college this year, and so he only sees his GF when he comes home on break... Nephew's GF's mom is BFFs with SIL. So, SIL and her family will be at their home this year for Christmas so Nephew and his GF can be together. Originally, they were going on vacation with MIL for the holiday. So, MIL said she's spending Christmas with SIL, even though they are staying home now, since that was the original plan. I'm actually sad MIL won't be here. Go figure.

Of course, I still have former-houseguest-cousin and her cootchy-razor-borrowing teenager coming over with Aunt-who-rearranges-the-house and my sweet, elderly uncle. I'll get to hear about how Auntie would have done things differently, and how I need to make more forced memories for my children and grandchildren. And, I'll get to hear about all the craziness that my 3 grandsons cause.

Pass the sangria please. Wait, make it two. One for Auntie; maybe it will calm her down!

[Ms B]

The ILs drop December 29 this year, departing January 2. They will be arriving with way too much stuff for The Biscuit and, as usual, food that we do not want to eat after its multi-hour car ride (thanks, but we have stores where we can buy bread or milk or eggs here) or that MIL did not want to cook in her house (e.g. fish to be fried). Also as usual, MIL will not bring a suitable coat and will want to borrow one of mine (not that it will close around her), but after she wears it will reek of the six different lotions/potions (face, eye, hand, elbow, body) that she wears every day, all in different scents, plus fragrance spray.

At least I will smell her coming . . .

Where IS that coquito recipe that was on here in the past? I tell MIL that it is my "soy protein smoothie" and she leaves it alone . . .