Dear MIL...

[MamaBelle4]

YES! I thought the poster who thought they were gross had mentioned both kinds.

Never had the Watergate salad, not a huge pistachio fan. I do like jello salads though, lol!

Me too. Utterly unhealthy but so yummy.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Don't let your knickers get in a knot... No, I didn't know about it until after the fact. But, I guess you showed me. All I didn't do was tell him after. Because lacking in consideration that you apparently feel I possess, I didn't want to embarrass him even further. However, sadly I cannot tell you the addresses of the ones that did do that so you could get all righteous on them.

The way you wrote it made it look like you were there when it happened. And, since several people "liked" my post, I'm guessing that they had the same interpretation that I did. Next time you retell the story, consider making yourself a bit more clear to avoid that type of misunderstanding, since you seem to have "your knickers in a knot" over it.

 

[Diznygrl]

I don't have a MIL but I've read this entire thread and I just have to say.....



Watergate Salad is the bomb.


Only when I make it, I don't put in marshmallows (not a fan of marshmallows unless they're toasted or melted), and I add a can of Mandarin oranges. Mmmm. Thanksgiving comes but once a year.

 

[here757]

I get it, we all need to vent. I know I have done my fair share of it. But dang, some on this thread. That's not venting, that's just pure hate. I'm sure there is a back story that would better explain the reason for it because I would sure hope that a cheap gift or a slight over Christmas would not garner that much anger in someone.

Sometimes u just gotta hate a person...

 

[Owlpost23]

Our version of Watergate salad was lime jello,canned pineapple(crushed),and vanilla ice cream.Tasty stuff!

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Our version of Watergate salad was lime jello,canned pineapple(crushed),and vanilla ice cream.Tasty stuff!

Vanilla ice cream is a unique twist. My mother-in-law's recipe is exactly the same except that we beat 8 oz. of cream cheese into the HOT Jello with electric beaters. Talk about living on the edge every time I make it! There is always the potential for hot sticky sugar flying everywhere.

Funny story...one year my MIL decided to make it "healthier" and unbeknownst to all of her sons and the rest of the family, she swapped out the cream cheese for cottage cheese and added green onion (?) or something similar as well. The molded salad was passed from person to person and everyone took a huge helping, lest there not be any left after it's first trip around the table. The look on everyone's faces when they took their first heaping forkful was priceless, with exclamations of, "What did you do to the Lime-Jello Salad???" She has never tried to mess with the recipe since, but it has been over 20 years now and I don't think her kids will ever let her forget the event.

 

[goofyernmost]

The way you wrote it made it look like you were there when it happened. And, since several people "liked" my post, I'm guessing that they had the same interpretation that I did. Next time you retell the story, consider making yourself a bit more clear to avoid that type of misunderstanding, since you seem to have "your knickers in a knot" over it.

I'm sorry, but, I wasn't telling the story to get feedback for my part or non-part of the situation. I was trying to make a point concerning the power of suggestion and how seriously some people will react to it. Even if I had been involved, which I wasn't, that was 52 years ago. I regret nothing that I did when I was 16 years old. Yes, I was defending myself, which I shouldn't have had too, not knotting my knickers. I was not the one being judgmental.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm sorry, but, I wasn't telling the story to get feedback for my part or non-part of the situation. I was trying to make a point concerning the power of suggestion and how seriously some people will react to it. Even if I had been involved, which I wasn't, that was 52 years ago. I regret nothing that I did when I was 16 years old. Yes, I was defending myself, which I shouldn't have had too, not knotting my knickers. I was not the one being judgmental.

I thought it was funny

 

[CarolAnn856]

I'm sorry, but, I wasn't telling the story to get feedback for my part or non-part of the situation. I was trying to make a point concerning the power of suggestion and how seriously some people will react to it. Even if I had been involved, which I wasn't, that was 52 years ago. I regret nothing that I did when I was 16 years old. Yes, I was defending myself, which I shouldn't have had too, not knotting my knickers. I was not the one being judgmental.

You've been here longer than me, so I'm not sure why you seem surprised that I commented on your post. That's what happens on threads. People post, other people respond. And, as is typical, people will respond not only to the point someone is trying to make, but other aspects of their post as well. That's how discussion boards work. Anyway, I hope you have a nice weekend.

 

[Nancyg56]

That is really horrible

What really?? Why on earth would she do that????

Honestly, with that going on, I would probably start staying home on Christmas.

My DSIL's mother did this. My DD and DSIL would have tolerated watching the favored siblings open their photo thing and charging docks while they opened an expired collection of jelly and a beef stick, but apparently there is a process of gift giving in DSIL family. Everyone gets a present, opens it individually, and it continues until all the gifts are opened. They endured watching their lovely little girl open the one toy from the dollar store while the favored grandchild opened MANY gifts. My DSIL have never returned for a CHristmas.

I have no idea why anyone would do this to a child, but to make sure that your son knows he is not the favored child in such a glaring way and hurting his own precious child is not the way to foster a relationship.

My beautiful DGD is 15 year old now, and she does not remember how hurt she was while she quietly and politely sat in that circle with one little pony thing, but she does know that she does not have the same relationship with her grandmother that she has with her Nana and Pa. It is impossible to undo senseless cruelty, and my DD and DSIL have ensured their baby girl was never hurt again.

 

[mom2rtk]

My DSIL's mother did this. My DD and DSIL would have tolerated watching the favored siblings open their photo thing and charging docks while they opened an expired collection of jelly and a beef stick, but apparently there is a process of gift giving in DSIL family. Everyone gets a present, opens it individually, and it continues until all the gifts are opened. They endured watching their lovely little girl open the one toy from the dollar store while the favored grandchild opened MANY gifts. My DSIL have never returned for a CHristmas.

I have no idea why anyone would do this to a child, but to make sure that your son knows he is not the favored child in such a glaring way and hurting his own precious child is not the way to foster a relationship.

My beautiful DGD is 15 year old now, and she does not remember how hurt she was while she quietly and politely sat in that circle with one little pony thing, but she does know that she does not have the same relationship with her grandmother that she has with her Nana and Pa. It is impossible to undo senseless cruelty, and my DD and DSIL have ensured their baby girl was never hurt again.

So sad. But good for your DD and DSIL. You really have to learn to control the things you can control in life. They couldn't control how grandma behaved, but they sure could control how much their daughter was exposed to.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

My DSIL's mother did this. My DD and DSIL would have tolerated watching the favored siblings open their photo thing and charging docks while they opened an expired collection of jelly and a beef stick, but apparently there is a process of gift giving in DSIL family. Everyone gets a present, opens it individually, and it continues until all the gifts are opened. They endured watching their lovely little girl open the one toy from the dollar store while the favored grandchild opened MANY gifts. My DSIL have never returned for a CHristmas.

I have no idea why anyone would do this to a child, but to make sure that your son knows he is not the favored child in such a glaring way and hurting his own precious child is not the way to foster a relationship.

My beautiful DGD is 15 year old now, and she does not remember how hurt she was while she quietly and politely sat in that circle with one little pony thing, but she does know that she does not have the same relationship with her grandmother that she has with her Nana and Pa. It is impossible to undo senseless cruelty, and my DD and DSIL have ensured their baby girl was never hurt again.

This just blows my mind! My mil spoils all her grandchildren at Christmas. So does my mom. And my mom has 5. I just can't imagine not only favoring one child but blantantly favoring that child.

 

[kimblebee]

This just blows my mind! My mil spoils all her grandchildren at Christmas. So does my mom. And my mom has 5. I just can't imagine not only favoring one child but blantantly favoring that child.

My daughter goes through the same thing with her dad's dad. Sure, she gets gifts at Christmas from him, but nowhere near what the other granddaughter gets. Plus, the other grandchild gets things through the year, like swimming lessons and dance lessons, that my daughter doesn't. I've spoken to him many times to knock off the blatant favouritism, but it still happens.

 

[Nancyg56]

This just blows my mind! My mil spoils all her grandchildren at Christmas. So does my mom. And my mom has 5. I just can't imagine not only favoring one child but blantantly favoring that child.

My DD and DSIl were so angry. KAdy was just a little peanut, and she had no way to understand what was happening. SHe just sat with that little toy and watched everyone else opening present after present. Now the woman invites them over and over, but DD and DSIL will never go on the Holiday itself. THey hear little comments about how they always go to "her" mother's house, but the truth is that they go where they are loved and where their child is cherished. DSIL said that he will never allow his child to be hurt, and my DD said she woudl never allow her child to see her dad disrespected.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Dear MIL,

It would be nice if you could let me know more than 2 days in advance if you're coming for Christmas or a different day. It's really hard to cook and rejig our schedules to cook another family Christmas dinner the week before Christmas when I work ft, and we have kids activities and other commitments with people that plan things in advance.

 

[Heidict]

Sometimes u just gotta hate a person...

oh I know, you are right. Some of these stories break your heart and if my girls were treated the way some of these "grandparents" treated theirs I would be spending Christmas without them around. There is never an excuse to treat your grandchild that way.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

My DD and DSIl were so angry. KAdy was just a little peanut, and she had no way to understand what was happening. SHe just sat with that little toy and watched everyone else opening present after present. Now the woman invites them over and over, but DD and DSIL will never go on the Holiday itself. THey hear little comments about how they always go to "her" mother's house, but the truth is that they go where they are loved and where their child is cherished. DSIL said that he will never allow his child to be hurt, and my DD said she woudl never allow her child to see her dad disrespected.

Agreed not a chance I would stand for that either. So sorry they are going thru that.

 

[MamaBelle4]

oh I know, you are right. Some of these stories break your heart and if my girls were treated the way some of these "grandparents" treated theirs I would be spending Christmas without them around. There is never an excuse to treat your grandchild that way.

You know, in some of these cases, having a talk with MIL may help. There was some inequality between the way MIL treated our kids and DH's sister's kids, so I spoke with her about it.
Turns out she was trying to compensate. My parents are wonderful grandparents who take the kids for overnight frequently and spend as much time with them as they can. My nieces and nephews, however, do not have an involved second set of grandparents. So, together, we sat the girls down and explained to them why their cousins get to spend the night with MIL and FIL more often and I started keeping them a couple times a year too. My MIL was just trying to compensate for absent grandparents and make sure the cousins felt loved too. I get that.

On the flip side, BIL's wife is really wonderful to my kids. But I started to notice her patience being extremely limited with the cousins and even unnecessarily yelling at them. I asked my SIL if she wanted me to say something because I knew she wouldn't advocate for her kids. She didn't and I respected her wishes. My MIL eventually did and now BIL's wife makes a strong effort to treat them more fairly.

In some of these situations, I know it won't help. But it won't hurt to try. If these people are treating your kids unfairly and they don't change, you don't need them in your life.

 

[ols386]

DH won't eat leftover chicken if it's been in the fridge for any length of time (bc he thinks it can get salmonella) but will eat pizza that sat out on the counter for an entire night. The man is a mystery.

I read somewhere that it's not safe to eat chicken no matter how long it's been refrigerated.

 

[Melissakay1q]

I read somewhere that it's not safe to eat chicken no matter how long it's been refrigerated.

Chicken are tricky creatures.