JLTraveling
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2005
- Messages
- 2,709
A little background: I moved away from my hometown in 2001, and my parents ended up moving to where I was a few months later. Mom passed in 2004 and Dad I came back to give my grandmother (Mom's mom) a proper funeral and gravesite to visit. Since then, Dad and I have been full-time RVers. We visit periodically, often over the holiday season, but never actually on Christmas Day.
We came back for a short visit earlier this month, but had plans to be in Colonial Williamsburg for Christmas this year. Then we found out that my cousin the Marine is back from Iraq for a week. He arrives today. So we decided to stick around to see him. That part of the family lives an hour away and hates the drama, so we're going to see them separately later this week.
Meanwhile, Dad and I were invited to another cousin's house for Christmas morning. Her daughter is 8, so we're doing brunch and present-opening from 10 to 12. We then called my grandmother to find out if she's going to Christmas morning (she's 90, and doesn't always feel up to the big festivities). Grandma complained bitterly to us that she's been there every morning of the granddaughter's life, but this year she was told not to come. She said that she was told that it would be noisy and crowded and she "wouldn't enjoy it." So we made plans to see Grandma later Christmas afternoon.
When cousin called to confirm plans, she brought up Grandma in the conversation. According to her, Grandma's been "persnickety" lately and cousin's husband doesn't feel like dealing with her. But at the same time, cousin now feels guilty because it's Christmas and she doesn't want to exclude Grandma. But the problem is, her mother is usually Grandma's chauffeur, but she's sick this year (she's been fighting breast cancer for a couple of years now) and can't run Grandma home whenever she gets tired. So Dad offers to step in. The new plan is we'll pick Grandma up and take her to cousin's house, then take her home whenever she wants. Which isn't a problem, except that I feel slightly put out because it's only a two-hour gathering and Dad's going to miss half of it in the driving.
Then it gets better. Turns out that my uncle had a "family Christmas" get-together at his house last week. He knew we were in town and opted not to invite us. Now I can't say I'm surprised, this is the same uncle that stiffed me $1000 for painting work I did at his house in 2005 (there was a contract and everything, so it wasn't just a misunderstanding). But apparently my cousin's in trouble with the family for telling us about it--it was supposed to be some big secret. Meanwhile, my aunt (the one with cancer) reacted to the news that we were invited to Christmas morning with "Oh. So what, now I have to buy them a present?"
Of course not, but that's hardly a Christmasy sentiment, you know? How about, "Gee, it'll be nice to see them...oh, and how nice that they even offered to drive Grandma around, so she'll get to be there after all."
We're only an hour from WDW, and are REAL tempted to just skip the whole thing and go to Disney instead. But I hate to make even more waves. I'm just so sick of the whole thing. This is half the reason we moved away in the first place. They just love to make us feel like second-class citizens.
WWYD? Should we just smile and nod and go along, or should we forget it and go to WDW?
We came back for a short visit earlier this month, but had plans to be in Colonial Williamsburg for Christmas this year. Then we found out that my cousin the Marine is back from Iraq for a week. He arrives today. So we decided to stick around to see him. That part of the family lives an hour away and hates the drama, so we're going to see them separately later this week.
Meanwhile, Dad and I were invited to another cousin's house for Christmas morning. Her daughter is 8, so we're doing brunch and present-opening from 10 to 12. We then called my grandmother to find out if she's going to Christmas morning (she's 90, and doesn't always feel up to the big festivities). Grandma complained bitterly to us that she's been there every morning of the granddaughter's life, but this year she was told not to come. She said that she was told that it would be noisy and crowded and she "wouldn't enjoy it." So we made plans to see Grandma later Christmas afternoon.
When cousin called to confirm plans, she brought up Grandma in the conversation. According to her, Grandma's been "persnickety" lately and cousin's husband doesn't feel like dealing with her. But at the same time, cousin now feels guilty because it's Christmas and she doesn't want to exclude Grandma. But the problem is, her mother is usually Grandma's chauffeur, but she's sick this year (she's been fighting breast cancer for a couple of years now) and can't run Grandma home whenever she gets tired. So Dad offers to step in. The new plan is we'll pick Grandma up and take her to cousin's house, then take her home whenever she wants. Which isn't a problem, except that I feel slightly put out because it's only a two-hour gathering and Dad's going to miss half of it in the driving.
Then it gets better. Turns out that my uncle had a "family Christmas" get-together at his house last week. He knew we were in town and opted not to invite us. Now I can't say I'm surprised, this is the same uncle that stiffed me $1000 for painting work I did at his house in 2005 (there was a contract and everything, so it wasn't just a misunderstanding). But apparently my cousin's in trouble with the family for telling us about it--it was supposed to be some big secret. Meanwhile, my aunt (the one with cancer) reacted to the news that we were invited to Christmas morning with "Oh. So what, now I have to buy them a present?"
Of course not, but that's hardly a Christmasy sentiment, you know? How about, "Gee, it'll be nice to see them...oh, and how nice that they even offered to drive Grandma around, so she'll get to be there after all."We're only an hour from WDW, and are REAL tempted to just skip the whole thing and go to Disney instead. But I hate to make even more waves. I'm just so sick of the whole thing. This is half the reason we moved away in the first place. They just love to make us feel like second-class citizens.
WWYD? Should we just smile and nod and go along, or should we forget it and go to WDW?
Merry Christmas to you and your dad!
