Panic striken! Mom and dad are having Christmas dinner at my place!

[BelleMom]

This is totally off-topic, I know...

But people from this board, that know me, may have an idea of my ordeal!


My parents are bringing the turkey and the glazed ham, farofa (a pleasure unknown to all of you!), rice and 2 pies. They never come to my place. They think I live in the wild. Just bc they live on the seaside neighborhood. Grandmom, 90, will be coming with them. Ouch, I don't even know if I have enough presentable knives and forks. And glasses! And wine glasses, oh my!

At least I have a Taitinger brut on my fridge. The glasses may be mismatched, but the champagne will be divine.

I think we need a good salad, some appetizers and bread. Returning to topic, how you, DisCon people, prepare your homes to welcome mom and dad for Christmas or Thanksgiving (I think Christmas here has the same family-reunion-with-food feeling that your Thanksgiving has). tips are welcome.

 

[glo]

Livia you met my parents when we were in WDW. I have to start cleaning a week ahead of time. I usually buy new sheets for the beds, new napkins(cloth) and dust three times a day three days before she gets here...Make sure I was the bathroom and kitchen floors just minutes befopre she arrives so you can still smell it, or she thinks I haven't washed the floors in weeks. I have utensils just for when she comes all the same pattern and style, and I do not own china, but make sure the plates all match. She is very picky, and even with all that she will find something wrong....lol

So honey, I wish you luck. Hope all goes well...and let us know how you survived!

 

[Barb]

Good luck, Livia. Even with all the "headaches" it sounds great. We've been celebrating holidays without family near for many years. Sure, it's nice to be just us. But I do miss being around my mom, my sisters and their families. It's just so hard to get away at this time of year. Have a wonderful holiday!

 

[DumboOrBust]

Originally posted by BelleMom
This is totally off-topic, I know...

But people from this board, that know me, may have an idea of my ordeal!


My parents are bringing the turkey and the glazed ham, farofa (a pleasure unknown to all of you!), rice and 2 pies. They never come to my place. I think we need a good salad, some appetizers and bread. Returning to topic, how you, DisCon people, prepare your homes to welcome mom and dad for Christmas or Thanksgiving (I think Christmas here has the same family-reunion-with-food feeling that your Thanksgiving has). tips are welcome.

<font face="comic sans ms"> Livia, I'm sure they are coming to see you and not to see if all your glasses match. Well, I hope so. I have such a small family anymore that our dinners are very casual. I'm glad that your family is getting together, and I'm sure after it is all over you will be saying, "Well. That wasn't that big of a deal."

Now, I'm curious. What is farofa? </font>

 

[Patinmn]

Well Dayna...I still have extended family in Oklahoma...Do Ya"ll still drink out of mason jars


Livia, Do what I do ...I make sure the house is tidy..make sure the dishes are clean...who cares if they match. I have never been a great duster. I like a house to have a lived in feeling not a museum feel to it.

 

[luvdsny]

I would do EXACTLY what Glo does..........that is why MY parents are never invited to my house!!! Just too dang exhausting!

Now, Ed's family is another subject. I don't feel the need to do anything before they arrive. They are so easy-going!

 

[CathyCanada]

I'm a real glutton for punishment, I am having both my parents and Jim's Mum for Christmas dinner!!! Accckkkkk!!!!!!! I haven't had Christmas dinner in years because I have the worst luck cooking turkeys. I am trying to keep the house tidy for MIL and just hope the meal is good, other than turkey and my Mom's French Canadian tourtiere, I don't even have my menu planned yet! Well I still have 3 days.
CC

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Livia.. everything will be fine.. I am sure they are just coming to share Christmas cheer with you and your children, that is so exciting.. Just enjoy the day, who cares whether the glasses match, I am sure they will not..Big hugs to you and yours.

I do not want to bring the group down.. I only wish I had my Mom and Dad, or Tom's Mom and Dad to share Christmas with.. My children get very down at the Holidays.. as they have no grandparents to share with.. Tom and I were both the babies of our families.. and well that is life..So it will be just us and the future son in law..and we like it that way..I made a rule when the children were little that we do not leave our house on Christmas Day.. so anyone is welcome to come here, but home is where we are..

 

[disneycub]

Don't worry, Livia! Everything will be fine. Course I can relate to what you're going through, because I always went into panic mode when my mom and dad would come for dinner. As they got older, however, we usually went out for holiday dinners. That way I wouldn't have to hear mom say "would you like help cleaning the house?" after I'd spent days making sure everything was perfect.

But one piece of advice. Cherish the time you have with your parents, and have a happy holiday. Guess that's two pieces. Oh well.......

 

[BelleMom]

All right. I took time to answer that because I really panicked. Breath deep. This is what I have done so far. Ex-hubby lent me wine glasses and regular glasses and silverware. The kids are very excited about cleaning the house. We are buying fresh flowers at the vendor cross the road tomorrow morning and that is our decoration. Salad and fruits complete the meal. I got a french pate as a gift from work and so much for appetizers. We are also getting fresh bread from the baker's.
They are very picky! They think I am very excentric, because we are very relaxed here. I don't care if dishes match, I don't care if glasses match. As long as the kids are well fed, bathed and happy I am also a happy camper. But I think I got it all figured out now.
One more thing: my grandma is coming too. She is 91 and still going strong. Steve, I cherish the time I have with my parents, but I think it is an incredible privilege to have that wonderful woman around, seeing her greatgrandchildern grow up with an alert mind. My other granny, my dad's mom, died this year. She was sick for a long time, living with my parents and my mom was taking care of her. My mom's mom, in the other hand, is an energetic lady who had to buy 22 Christmas gifts for her friends. Talk about role model: this is what I want to be when I grow up!!!

I will keep you posted!

Ah Dayna, farofa:
Finely grounded manioc flour which is fried in a frying pan with lots of butter, eggs, sometimes bacon, onion, chopped banana... Possibilities are endless! It is really hard to describe if you never have seen manioc flour. It is very fattening; therefore, very yummy!

 

[perfectmatch300]

Have a wonderful Christmas dinner, Livia.

I finally have the china & silverware that matches, but the last time I had dinner guests the only glasses that I had were my Disney glasses from McDonalds or some ugly blue tumblers from a gas station giveaway. They looked really funny with the Lenox. Wonder if anyone in my family will get the "What should we get Nancy for..." hint from that?

 

[glo]

So how did it go Livia? I am sure everything went well, and you shocked the pants of off them with your great dishes and great food!!!! Have a great Christmas!!!

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Livia.. how did it go.. Please let us know.. I am sure it was wonderful and the children had a great day.. Hugs and Merry Christmas..

 

[BelleMom]

It is over!
Well, it worked as fine as possible, I guess.
Complaint level was kept to a minimun. Dad mumbled sg about the lack of a center table where I could leave appetizers. Mom brought all of her serving plates, because she was pretty sure I didn't have none. They liked the flowers, the champagne and the food. The kids made a general mess. Granny, when I was not looking, tried to escape to the rooms and inspect them with my mom. She (granny) considered them adequate! The kids's dad helped to clean the mess afterwards and took everybody home when the taxi they had called didn't show up. The kids fell asleep in a pinch!
Farofa was yummy. This time, it had raisins.

I thank you all for the support! I don't know if I had mentioned that here. I live at this place since 1994. It was the second time my father condescended in leaving his apartment and visiting mine. It is a 20 minute trip. He thinks that avoiding my home is a way to show disapproval to the fact that I chose to live far away... and it is my sister who lives in Seattle!!!


Merry Christmas to all!

 

[luvdsny]

Oh Livia. I'm LOL. I'm glad it all ended without a murder. Don't you just love DYSfunctional families during the holidays???

My mom is pouting because we didn't invite her and my step-father over at all this holiday season. She hasn't figured out that if she was a whole lot less judgemental that she would probably be invited out a lot more often.