Are you always the one that has to cook the holiday meal?

[java]

With divorced parents and inlaws that don't talk to each other. It seems like Christmas is a month long with all the dinners we have. Now don't get me wrong, I am blessed to have so many in my life. I am just about now sick and tired of cooking. (tonight it will be a Ham with a glaze of some kind, potatoes and creamed spinach with my Dad.= who will also be here Christmas eve.)

I think I have just hit the holiday wall. You know the one where you feel like not one more thing. I can't do it. I need to slap myself to get back into the holiday spirit- 2 parties this weekend one with family(I am only bringing something to that one)

But I am just plum tired of cooking for the holidays. I did Thanksgiving twice, Now it will be Christmas 3 times. I have 2 siblings I think it is time for one of them to step up to the holiday oven and start taking over.

Are you the designated holiday host or hostess in your family? Or are you one of the lucky ones that actually rotates homes?

 

[java]

pathetically replying to myself...
but an update
After typing that I though WHY? why am I running myself ragged. So I made reservations for Christmas eve. One off the list! And I feel much much better. The thought of making a huge meal on the Eve and then us leaving for vacation the next day was making me nuts.
So see sometimes just typing it out helps you find a solution.

 

[EthansMom]

I know what you mean.

I hosted Christmas Eve dinner for all of the ILs (my family are all on the other coast) for the last 3 years in a row. It was exhausting work... and no matter how hard I worked to make it a nice event, one or more of the ILs would always make some DRAMA. I finally got sick enough of them being terrible guests that I decided I would not be hosting any holiday meals this year. My SIL, likewise, said that she is tired of hosting everyone else.

With neither myself or my SIL willing to host dinner, our MIL and StepMIL are both hosting holiday dinners at their houses for the first time ever!

 

[suzimar57]

this is the last xmas dinner i'm stuck making, with the ILs coming over

ungrateful bunch, they are......

 

[holbear]

Yep. I always host the holidays. This year SIL was here for Thanksgiving. That was fun.. heaven forbid she even stick a plate in the sink. I did the entire meal with absolutely NO help.

For Christmas my parents and sister will be here for 5 days or so.. so 5 days of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I don't mind, though, because they DO help. I also cook and freeze much ahead of time. This year I went to Let's Dish (one of those food preparation places) and fixed a bunch of meals at once for the freezer. That really helped as I haven't been that motivated to cook or bake anything this year. For dinner I'm getting a spiral honey ham so I really have to make is sides.

 

[Sleepy]

I really do enjoy cooking holiday meals and don't expect any help- don't need it either. It's alot of work, but when everyone is sitting at my table eating the food I prepared and making comments like "This is fantastic!". It makes it all worth the effort. If I was working outside the home and my time was more limited or if I had ungrateful guests, I might think differently.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

I am 30 and we have never hosted a holiday meal! I don't think it was passed down from my grandmother to my mother until she was closer to 40. I wouldn't mind doing it, but our house simply isn't big enough. We don't even have a dining room! We're moving soon though, and I'd love to host it for the first time next year in our new home.

 

[BabyPiglet]

My family always hosts the parties, although I do love (yes, love) the cooking!

 

[Chattyaholic]

I am more than ready to rotate homes!!

We have been hosting Christmas Day dinner for the past 30 years. I'm 50 now and would really love to let someone else do it occasionally. DS and his family live right next door, and DD and her family live just a quarter mile away but neither of them have ever offered to do Christmas Day at their house.

I'm tired of all the extra cleaning involved and tired of the food preparation and trying to make sure everything is "perfect."

I feel like its their turn to start rotating, but they all LOVE coming here for Christmas so I keep doing it.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I always have to cook every meal, christmas, thanksgiving and easter. Its because both our extended familys are deceased and we live in another state from the other relatives that we have left. Its only the 5 of us so it is not too bad, I just cook the same stuff over and over again. Gets to be boring after a while.

 

[SpecialK]

I really do enjoy cooking holiday meals and don't expect any help- don't need it either. It's alot of work, but when everyone is sitting at my table eating the food I prepared and making comments like "This is fantastic!". It makes it all worth the effort. If I was working outside the home and my time was more limited or if I had ungrateful guests, I might think differently.

I agree! Plus, my sister is not the best in the kitchen, so I prefer to cook.