tell about Christmas "letters" you get...

[Grumpy's Gal]

I'll go first. A friend of my DH's sent this letter that had TOO MUCH INFORMATION! His wife gave a minute by minute detailed discription of their most recent labor and delivery. Some things I do not need to know like what time your water broke or how they checked your cervix.

Who else has gotten some odd or funny Christmas letters? Do tell!

 

[daisyduck123]

When I get one in the mail....I honestly don't even read it....not even the 1st sentence. It just gets tossed into the trash. I can't stand them.

 

[Jingle]

My aunt always writes a Christmas letter like she was in the third person. Hope I said that right--it's been a long time since school! When she is writing, she will refer to herself and everyone else by name. For example, she will not say I did this, or we did that, but she will say something like, John, Carol, Jimmy and Angie went on vacation in August.

 

[Barb D]

Well, I just wrote a short one to e-mail to family members along with some pictures, and DD12 got ahold of it before I hit "send."

The italicized part is what she wrote. The only true part is the last sentence.

(DD) is 12 and in 7th grade .... (normal braggy mom stuff here) ... Very interested in base jumping and skydiving, she has broken all the bones in her body. A future Amazing Race participant, she must prepare, so she has done many different cultural activities, such as eating cannibals, rowing down the Nile, and swimming in the Queen Of Indiana's bathtub, which is actually smaller than you think. She also has a very wild imagination...;-)

 

[jonestavern]

it seems like all my friends' kids are exceptional--really this is a fact. I need to cultivate new aquantences with average kids!
I have been tempted to send a Christmas letter out saying DS, a great kid, is woefully lacking in math, a very polite young man, a tad lazy & a genius in history & that I still feel I must pick up his dirty clothes off the floors!
I would go on to say that my housekeeping has not improved, I am very definately still overweight, not aging well and our dog, Zippy, chews up napkins.
this I believe is a change from the sons off to West Point, daughters studying art in Paris, Dads' new Mercedes, Mom's going to Harvard
I swear they keep me around as an example of what not to do!

Jean

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

Ok the cervix updates are a "bit" much. But I would be sad if my friends just threw mine away, I love getting them and reading what loved ones have been up to. My close friends and family of course I know what they've been up too, but cousins and some good friends we've moved away from its great to get that update between the next visit.

Jonestavern... I'm with you. My letter actually says that I'm still a stay at home who spends her time avoiding doing laundry, and that ds is a class clown whose favorite thing to do is anything we tell him not to do.

 

[Aimeedyan]

My mom used to send out EMBARASSING letters - 4-5 pages long and way way way too much information. As kids and teenagers, we were motified at what she included. But she said she was the mom and could do what she wanted. I still resent her for that =)

This year, she sent DH and I her letter and she finally condensed it a lot and just hit highlights of what was going on. Not too much info.

My aunt just sent out an email greeting and talked about her grandsons upcoming wedding and how they wished he wouldn't get married... WTH?! I was appalled that someone would tell all their friends/family that in a xmas letter. Way TMI! I feel sorry for my cousin, I hope he doesn't find out that she sent that out.

I like reading them, personally, but only if they are short and sweet and not too braggy =)

 

[minkydog]

it seems like all my friends' kids are exceptional--really this is a fact. I need to cultivate new aquantences with average kids!
I have been tempted to send a Christmas letter out saying DS, a great kid, is woefully lacking in math, a very polite young man, a tad lazy & a genius in history & that I still feel I must pick up his dirty clothes off the floors!
I would go on to say that my housekeeping has not improved, I am very definately still overweight, not aging well and our dog, Zippy, chews up napkins.
this I believe is a change from the sons off to West Point, daughters studying art in Paris, Dads' new Mercedes, Mom's going to Harvard
I swear they keep me around as an example of what not to do!

Jean

I right there with you. I hold up the lower end of the family tree. My Christmas letter starts with "This year John quit high school, left home, and joined the circus(Disney on Ice, actually) to sell snow cones & cotton candy 5 nights a week." From there we go to Eleni(12) dancing in a zydeco bar in New Orleans and Christian's astounding success with potty-training(he's 10~yippee!) I figure my Christmas letter is bound to spread cheer to all my relatives if for no reason other than being glad they aren't me

 

[golfgal]

DH send out very funny letters. We didn't get around to sending Christmas cards last year and we got phone calls from people asking why they didn't get a card from us last year.

 

[jipsy]

I must be the odd person here. I don't have any friends or family who send out letters like that.

My aunt just sent out an email greeting and talked about her grandsons upcoming wedding and how they wished he wouldn't get married... WTH?! I was appalled that someone would tell all their friends/family that in a xmas letter. Way TMI! I feel sorry for my cousin, I hope he doesn't find out that she sent that out.

wow that's incredible. Was your cousin on the email list?

To the OP, if you haven't sent out your card to those people yet, make sure you put a line in there telling her you hope her cervix has recovered by now.

 

[Hermosa11]

I get a few letters..........but I LOVE my single friend's letter the MOST. She has been doing these for about 13 years and I so look forward to them. First, there are no parts about her bragging about kids (she does not have any)...She talks about adventurous vacations with her mom and things like that. She also openly has funny photos of herself and talks about her weight. Her letters are the best.

I personally write letters (or stay in touch with e-mail friends) thru the year and thus, I don;t "need" a Christmas Letter.

 

[Poohlovr]

I'll share just a tad bit of one that I just got from a former co-worker, with whom I've had no contact since leaving that job almost 9 yrs ago-

Apparently her husband passed away 5 years ago- "Celibacy is not bad, only lonely".

She also explains, in detail, some sort of "liver diet" she's on -"no fat, no salt, no sweets....greens, meat (3oz), vegetables and fruits with lots to drink, 8 glasses a day". (Never explained why she's on this diet....)

And her car- "My 2005 Toyota Echo is holding out for this winter and gets me around to and from work,church...." (Don't know if there were some problems with this car in the past that would explain why this is of importance).

This was just a rambling, makes-no-sense-at-all kind of thing. I'm still

 

[C.Ann]

I loathe those things - and normally I enjoy a good letter.. Third-person bragging drives me up a tree.. Just sign the card and be done with it.. LOL

 

[disykat]

Ok the cervix updates are a "bit" much. But I would be sad if my friends just threw mine away, I love getting them and reading what loved ones have been up to. My close friends and family of course I know what they've been up too, but cousins and some good friends we've moved away from its great to get that update between the next visit.

Jonestavern... I'm with you. My letter actually says that I'm still a stay at home who spends her time avoiding doing laundry, and that ds is a class clown whose favorite thing to do is anything we tell him not to do.

ITA! I love a good letter and none of my friends send out braggy ones, just basic news. If I get a card with just a signature from someone I haven't caught up with recently, I'm disappointed.

I understand the letters people are talking about though because my parents used to get one. It was from my Dad's business partner. He saw the man every single day, yet we got 4 page letter each year with the bragging about their kids followed by their personal testamonies. The letter was pretty obnoxious, but I thought it was even sillier to send it to someone you worked with and talked to daily.

 

[Poohnatic]

it seems like all my friends' kids are exceptional--really this is a fact. I need to cultivate new aquantences with average kids!
I have been tempted to send a Christmas letter out saying DS, a great kid, is woefully lacking in math, a very polite young man, a tad lazy & a genius in history & that I still feel I must pick up his dirty clothes off the floors!
I would go on to say that my housekeeping has not improved, I am very definately still overweight, not aging well and our dog, Zippy, chews up napkins.
this I believe is a change from the sons off to West Point, daughters studying art in Paris, Dads' new Mercedes, Mom's going to Harvard
I swear they keep me around as an example of what not to do!

Jean

One year, I got a card from a former neighbor. He wrote "oldest still won't move out, daughter in danger of failing, daughter 2 is too boy crazy to do anything else and youngest dd has to pick up all the slack". He goes on to say all his sick days are spent windsurfing!

We get one from a former classmate every year. She doesn't get that she's 'old' for her age and brags about being the youngest on the travel tours that they seem to go on several times each year.

Suzanne

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

To the OP, if you haven't sent out your card to those people yet, make sure you put a line in there telling her you hope her cervix has recovered by now.

Oh man! We already did. Their letters are like this every year! I just do not need to know this much detail about personal things! In fcat, when we get their letter, we save it until after the kiddos are in bed and so we can read and laugh about it!

 

[pearlieq]

I HATE these!!! Frankly, I don't get why people think I'm that interested in their lives. If I'm close to them, I already know what's up, and if I'm not close I really don't care. I would never presume that anyone would want to read an unsolicited narrative about my life. I find these letters to be a special brand of demented, arrogant self absorption.

Luckily I only get a couple per year, but the absolute worst is from my best friend from high school. She always starts by saying how "necessary" she feels it is to send the dumb letter, then goes on to blather on about what she's been doing, which is fine, but it's usually written in such overwrougt, cutesy language I want to vomit.

Inevitably I always find out over the next several months that a lot of it was glossing over or even outright lies ("My roomate and I get along so well!" Except for the fact that you hate each other and she moved out without telling you...).

The worst is that she browbeats her boyfriend into adding his own contribution. He refuses to celebrate Christmas, so it's his "solstice letter" and it's just as bad as hers.

I really don't know what's wrong with her, but the letters are great entertainment!

 

[Pugsley]

I HATE these!!! Frankly, I don't get why people think I'm that interested in their lives. If I'm close to them, I already know what's up, and if I'm not close I really don't care. I would never presume that anyone would want to read an unsolicited narrative about my life. I find these letters to be a special brand of demented, arrogant self absorption.

Now THERE’S the Christmas spirit for you! I just sent one out this year for the first time (since there were some major changes in my life like getting married and moving) and I’m a little bummed out to know that people may be calling me demented and self-absorbed! Lucky for me, I think my friends, relatives, acquaintances actually do care about what’s going on in my life (as I do theirs). I agree that the braggy or overly detailed ones are a bit much, but I even enjoy reading those – they can at least be good for a laugh. The hardest part of writing mine was trying to put a positive spin on what my adult stepchildren are up to. The best thing I could think of to say was that none of them are in jail at the moment, well, ok, one of them will probably be going to jail soon but at least he won’t be homeless any more! But I restrained myself -- some things are better left unsaid!

 

[minkydog]

I HATE these!!! Frankly, I don't get why people think I'm that interested in their lives. If I'm close to them, I already know what's up, and if I'm not close I really don't care. I would never presume that anyone would want to read an unsolicited narrative about my life. I find these letters to be a special brand of demented, arrogant self absorption.

Now THERE’S the Christmas spirit for you! I just sent one out this year for the first time (since there were some major changes in my life like getting married and moving) and I’m a little bummed out to know that people may be calling me demented and self-absorbed! Lucky for me, I think my friends, relatives, acquaintances actually do care about what’s going on in my life (as I do theirs). I agree that the braggy or overly detailed ones are a bit much, but I even enjoy reading those – they can at least be good for a laugh. The hardest part of writing mine was trying to put a positive spin on what my adult stepchildren are up to. The best thing I could think of to say was that none of them are in jail at the moment, well, ok, one of them will probably be going to jail soon but at least he won’t be homeless any more! But I restrained myself -- some things are better left unsaid!

I'd love to read your letter. Thanks for posting. I was beginning to think maybe i really was off-base by sending my Christmas letter, but I live far from family and they often don't know how we're doing. I keep it positive and one page only(no point to writing "Well, DH almost died this year and they don't expect him to live long and we have DS10 on the waiting list for institutional care and DS19 has a court date and DD 12 thinks I'm an idiot and...") I always get positive feedback, but maybe they're just bing polite...hmmm...

 

[DMRick]

I love to get them. We have friends all over the world and I'm really bad about keeping in touch. These bring me up to date on their families and lives. I love knowing that some of our old friends children are using their skills as missionaries (and even our old friends), others have graduated college and gotten interesting jobs, one is now a Pastor and has his own church. Most include their childrens addresses, and it's interesting to see where they all landed. Others have had a tough time, lost a parent, spouse or child, and while I may have heard about it, often we have not, since we may only see each other in the summer, in one of our camping groups, or in the winter, when in Florida, the camping group we know down there. Others have retired, started to travel and downsized. Some have re-married! I have never had a bad Christmas letter, and anytime a friend wants to share one with me, I'm ready and I'll look forward to it. I have 66 first cousins, a couple hundred second cousins and getting letters from them, and our friends keeps the tie (of course they all don't send letters).