The Official New Mom Thread

[Hillbeans]

Happy New Year everyone!

We made it up to 12 midnight last night at our friends house - even my 4 yo and my friend's 4 yo were still awake, but the baby was sleeping. At 12:03, we loaded up the car and got home and in bed by 1. We watched Dick Clark -It was nice to see him back in Times Square on NYE.

Loretta - that's a great picture of you and your husband. You're both so photogenic, and it's hard to believe you just had a baby 4 months ago.

Jill - we've tried the dreamfeed, but it's never worked for us. It threw Liam's schedule all out of wack. He's starting to nap better during the day, and I think that's what's going to help him sleep better at night. I hope we get a few more of those 5 1/2 hour stretches and get down to only one feed a night. I start back at work on Tuesday so the sooner the better.

My "friend" came back 3 weeks ago, and it really wasn't bad at all. I had a terrible time the first period after Kevin was born - so bad actually that I had to go to the ER and get a shot of Estrogen. I really lucked out this time I guess. Hope you're feeling better soon Bellacam.

 

[tkyes]

Happy 2006 everyone!!

Jill - I hope things get straightened out with insurance. What a pain!!!! Glad you got a little more sleep. It's amazing how one nice long 5 hour stretch feels like 10 when you don't get to sleep much.

Loretta - You look wonderful! Sounds like a fun night.

SL - I hope your food turned out. Sorry to hear Lucas is sick, thank goodness it's not croup though.

Robin - OMG! I'm so sorry to hear about the barf! I'm not ready for that. Sounds like you had a good New Years. I LOVE coconut shrimp! I tried to make some at home once and burned the coconut to a crisp! I ended up baking it and it turned out pretty good. Not as crunchy, but healthier and it still tasted great. My favorite is coconut shrimp in the peanut sauce from Ohanas!! YUMMY!

Hillary - I'm glad Liam didn't get hurt with the glasses. That will be a good story to share when the boys get older. That's great that Liam slept a little longer!

joats - sorry you didn't get your mexican food, that does sound really good right now. I could handle some chinese takeout too!

Gem - Sounds like you had a fun night too!


Tyler is being a little turkey today about his nap. He spent the night at my parents and didn't take a morning nap. He's waaaay overtired, but fighting it badly!

Our night at the fish house was fun. We drove out about 4 miles on the ice and parked the house there. We just played games all night and ate and drank. I had 4 drinks, oh my goodness was I silly! It was nice to just be with DH with no tv or interuptions. There is tv hookup, but we don't have a tv for it yet.

Gotta run, our friend from Colorado is here with her 2 month old who we've never met! I can't wait.

Talk to you all later.

Tamie

 

[llij]

Hi Everyone!

We just got back from our friends house and had a great time catching up with everyone. They said that they want to go back to WDW in two years instead of this year, so I am all ready for that! John Paul decided to sleep all day today (mainly b/c we held him) so tonight should be quite interesting. We are trying to keep him up right now, but he is one angry baby.

Tamie - Glad to hear that you had a lot of fun at the fish house! It sounds pretty neat. It so nice to have quality time with our spouses. My DH and used to love to get away for a bit just to re-connect with each other.

Hillbeans - Good luck at work on Tuesday! I hope that Liam continues to stretch the sleeping out for you.

Alice28 - It sounds like you had a great NYE. The coconut shrimp sounds yummy. I'll have to look for it next time I go to Costco. I'm sorry to hear that your son is still sick. I hope he gets better soon!

Everyone have a great evening!

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Hi, everyone! I am glad everyone's New Year's went well (and Loretta you look amazing!) Ours was very low-key. We stayed home and watched a DVD and had take-out and just enjoyed eachother's company. The perfect NYE if you ask me! And then today we simply went to church and grocery shopping and that was it. The New Year brought good news for one of my friends and bad news for another. One found out she is 5 weeks preg. with her 2nd which she had been wanting so that was great news! The other found out that her 5 year old neice's daddy was killed in a wreck last night. From what we know he was drunk driving and hit a tree. The good news is at least no one else was hurt! His dd didn't even know him as he made no effort to see her and didn't pay child support. But it is still sad!

Everyone is better here but Kylie is getting a top tooth and has been sooo irritable all day! Not fun! And I am definitely not used to it as she is usually such a happy baby and never had any problems when she got her bottom teeth. I gave her some baby tylenol and baby orajel and that seemed to help a lot and she was in a better mood after that and now she is sound asleep.

Ladies, especially those of you with older babies, does it ever seem as though your baby just suddenly grew up overnight? I swear Kylie started sitting (including getting into the position on her own), crawling, and trying to pull up on things overnight! It is unreal. And then I look at her and I can't believe how much she has grown! It is unreal!

Oh, and the other morning she climbed on me when I was laying down on my side in the floor watching her play and she bit my nose! That really hurt! And she laughed about it when I scolded her! Man, I think I am going to be in for it when she is older, lol!

bellacam~ My first period after having Kylie was awful!!! I was in sooo much pain! It was worse than after my c-section. And I had major clotting issues! But that was the only bad one I have had. The rest have been normal thankfully!

Alice~ Wow! Your dh will be here before you know it! I am so excited for you!

Okay, ladies, I am sooo tired! Dh and I stayed up till about 3 a.m. just talking and spending some time together and Kylie woke up at 6:45 a.m. and was ready to get up. Then we had church at 10 and had to drive a good ways just to get to it. And we went grocery shopping afterward. And then she refused to take a nap most of the day so I am sooo tired. I am going to bed.

Oh, and now that Kylie is mobile I swear she is wearing me out! So I don't get on here nearly as much as I did before sooo just in case I don't post again for a while let me add this! I am just going to wish all of the January babies a happy b-day at the same time in case I don't get on here in time or something...

Katelyn (dd to 2sweetangels)~ January 17, 2004 HAPPY 2ND B-DAY!
Jimmy (ds to lissawynn)~ January 24, 2005 HAPPY 1ST B-DAY!
Allie (dd to becka)~ January 24, 2005 HAPPY 1ST B-DAY!
Jenna (dd to J&D)~ January 27, 2005 HAPPY 1ST B-DAY!




Madison (dd to justhat)~ February 26, 2004
Molly (dd to Alice28)~ March 8, 2005
Russ (ds to katerkat)~ March 16, 2005
Anna (dd to DisneyPhD)~ March 29, 2001
Aidan (ds to DisKim)~ April 18, 2005
Tyler (ds to tkyes)~ April 26, 2005
Kylie (dd to Tasha+Scott)~ May 5, 2005
Sean (ds to Patsfan7)~ May 26, 2005
Jace (ds to joats)~ June 17, 2005
Lucas (ds to Strawberry Lemonade)~ June 20, 2005
Lucas (ds to Minnesota!)~ June 22, 2004
Bryce (ds to AngieWin)~ June 26, 2003
Lily (dd to gwcollins71)~ June 29, 2005
Katrina (dd to vald1977)~ July 12, 2005
Eli (ds to JennLynn)~ July 24, 2005
Aidan (ds to bellacam)~ August 1, 2005
Lily (dd to DisneyPhD)~ August 3, 2004
Noah (ds to AngieWin)~ August 12, 2005
Hayley (dd to 2sweetangels)~ August 16, 2005
Jacob (ds to laurajetter)~ August 24, 2005
Cameryn (dd to zalansky)~ September 10, 2005
Liam (ds to Hillbeans)~ September 23, 2005
Shelby (dd to T16GEM)~ October 21, 2005
Sebastian (ds to Disney Enthusiast)~ October 21, 2005
John Paul (ds to llij)~ October 27, 2005
Matthew (ds to nucpharm29)~ November 7, 2005
Dean Alan (ds to cabmom)~ November 14, 2005
Benjamin Alexander (ds to Daydreamer64)~ November 30, 2005

 

[lissawynn]

Happy New Year everyone! Things are finally calming down here after a day of running around. DH and Jimmy are crashed out in bed, and I might just sack out on the couch and try to get a decent night's sleep.

I spent NYE day cleaning my house and cooking stuff for my sister's "party". DH, Jimmy, and I stopped at a friend of DH's for about an hour before heading to my sister's. Once there, DH stayed on her couch most of the night. He's still feeling lousy. Jimmy barfed on himself 3 times, so we finally gave him a bath and put him in a pair of my nephew's old jammies. We managed to stay awake for the ball drop and headed home soon after. What I didn't find out today was that my BIL cut his hand open after "shooting" in the new year. He ended up in the ER getting stitches in his hand.
I spend most of the morning cleaning out Jimmy's drawers trying to weed out the too small clothes to make room for the new clothes he received for Christmas. I guess I'll take all the small stuff to the basement tomorrow.
We ate our traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner at DH's nana's then at my mom's. I'm stuffed, tired, and ready for a good night's sleep! I still have to clean the kitty boxes as tomorrow morning is garbage pick up.

My mom managed to find me white Christmas tree and is picking it up tomorrow. It's 6' 1/2" tall and is prelit w/ white lights. I'm very excited!

I am trying to get stuff together for Jimmy's 1st bday party. I've secured the place (my church's social hall), booked the entertainment (a magician), and got the menu ready (pick stuff, turkey bbq, my dad's bean soup, meatballs, etc.). Here's the questions for those of you who've hosted bday parties...What do I put in the goodie bags for the kids attending the party? Any and all suggestions would be appreciated!

Have a good night!

 

[nucpharm29]

Good Morning Ladies! We are finally back in our own home. The trip at my parents ended up being okay. It's funny how both my mom and dad were so sad to see us leave. I was thinking "Well, you could've spent a little more time with us". I think they realized that they won't see us again until this summer. Oh well.

I don't know what it is about the sickness bug, but it hit us again on the drive home. We stopped in the southern part of Illinois overnight on NYE b/c we weren't going to drive the whole way. Well, DH and DD went out and got McDonalds for our dinner (I know really snazzy NYE dinner! ) When they got back, DD started coughing, which turned into vomiting, which led to a night of diarrhea! AAHH!!!!! Luckily, the hotel people were super nice helping us out with cleaning up and all. It seems like every trip we've taken somebody comes down with the bug! I told DH that the week before our disney trip (2 weeks from Thurs. ) that we are not going anywhere out of the house with the kids. He thought at first I was crazy, but now he understands. I figure, if either the kids or I get sick at disney at least it will be my fault. Not b/c DD picked up a toy that some sick kid had been playing with at the library or church, etc.

Sounds like everyone had a great new year's. It's off to watch some bowl games for us today.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments on our Christmas pics. I'm glad you enjoyed them. I wanted to share them w/ you so you would know what we've been up to all this time. The Thomas Kinkade was such a nice surprise. I had no idea my DH would go for it. I guess I turned him into a Disney guy.... Woo Hoo. Considering he had never been to WDW until he met me is saying a lot now that he is such a fan. My beautiful daughter was such a bugger when trying to get a pic for our card. She yawned, sucked her thumb, stomped on dead bugs, you name it. She's a cutie, but so high maintenance and head strong and defiant. Is it because she is a girl, or because she is 2? Hopefully this stage won't last much longer. I don't remember my oldest acting that way. She certainly tests my patience.

As for the matching outfits on the kids.....I thought for sure Alice28 would recognize them. I got the whole ensemble from Gymboree in November. Gymboree had some really nice formal dresses for Caroline, but I could only get casual for the boys, so we went casual for the whole family. But I think they turned out really nice for the pics. They weren't too close in pattern, and yet they coordinated nicely. By the way, I'm so glad your DH is heading home Alice28! I'm am so excited for you.

I'm still playing catch up on this thread and I'm really enjoying reading all the great posts. Wishing you all a Happy New Year! We had a quiet evening at home w/ the extended family. It was nice and I learned to make frozen margaritas. Yum!!!

 

[DisKim]

Hi ladies! I'm glad to hear that everyone had a good New Year's Eve. We decided to just stay home. My mom came over and we ate junk all night and watched DVD's. Alex stayed up until midnight for the first time. I can't believe my kids have school today. Emily was so mad. I was really worried for any child who crossed her path this morning. I got to bring Alex to the bus stop which was a treat for both of us. It's funny how you really miss simple things like the bus stop when you are a working mom. Aidan and I had the day to ourselves since DH works in the kids' school district. My district had off. It was such a treat. We went to the food store and just hung out together. He has been so good all day. I'm dreading the return to work tomorrow. I don't know how I'll get used to dragging myself out of bed at 5 am again.

Lissawynn - When I had my DD's first birthday, I didn't even know about goodie bags. Luckily, my mom thought of it and made them for me. How old are the other kids who are coming. Usually, I put in a couple of small toys and some candy. You could put coloring books and crayons or books from the dollar store if the kids are younger. I can't believe Jimmy will be 1 so soon!

Alice28 - Oh man, the barf story was pretty bad. I can't clean up barf because I start to heave myself. I give those lovely jobs to DH.

Jill - What a nightmare with the insurance company. I hope everything turns out okay.

OK, time to do some work and get ready for school tomorrow. The thought of it just makes me want to cry. I want to be home with Aidan so badly . For those of you who don't work, how hard is it to give up your salary? I don't know if I could do it and then have to struggle. I've never been good with money. Working allows me to spend on what I need without having to worry or budget.

 

[llij]

Hello Ladies,

Tasha - It sounds like Kylie is really on the move! You are right though about babies growing up overnight. My oldest turns 10 this month and it seems as if I just gave birth to her yesterday. The changes that babies make the first few years are pretty amazing and so much fun to watch.

Lisawynn - That is wonderful that your mom found a white Christmas tree for you. I bet it will be beautiful! Have fun planning Jimmy's party. It sounds like it will be a great party! DisKim has great suggestions for the goody bags. I'm not sure if I had goody bags for the girls when they were 1, but when they were older I would try to match up the goody bags to the theme of the party. You can't go wrong though with candy, coloring books or crayons. Do you have a Party City in your area? Lots of times they have great stuff for kids goody bags.

nucpharm29 - Sorry to hear that your DD got sick on the trip home. You are right about keeping the kids semi quarantined before Disney. My kids were always famous for getting sick right before our Disney trips. Their pediatrician even offered to escort us on one trip just to make sure they stayed healthy. He happened to be a Disney lover!

Disney Enthusiast - I love your kids Gymboree outits! I'm sad that my girls can't wear Gymboree anymore. You had me laughing about your dd and her temperament. It might be b/c she is two. My girls went through "headstrong" stages when they were three, but they are very easygoing now. Good luck to you!

DisKim - Good luck with going back to work tomorrow. When I left my job it was a little risky b/c my DH was in sales and we relied on his commissions in addition to his base. It took a little bit of adjustment and sticking to a budget but it turned out ok. I ended up doing some consulting with my old employers for 3 years after I quit and that extra little bit of income was nice. I hope that everything works out for you!

We just finished taking all of our Christmas decorations down. It was kind of bittersweet as I love Christmas, but it is nice to get my house back! We also had an eliptical machine delivered today so I should probably get on it and try to lose all that weight I gained from the holidays and the pregnancy. I'm also thinking of going back to WW this week. It has been a few years since I did WW, but it really worked last time I did it.

Everyone have a great day!

 

[vald1977]

Hey everybody,
I've enjoyed reading about everone's New Year's plans.

Robin, next week is it!! How exciting !

Diskim,
I can't believe your kids had school today! That stinks.

Lisawynn,
For goodie bags I like to give mostly snack type stuff like little bags of chips, indiv. cookie packets, fruit snack etc. That way I feel like it will get eaten as opposed to junky toys that get thrown out. For babies I've done stuff like board books and sippy cups.

Zalansky,
Wonderful pic of your Dh and you! You guys make a lovely couple.

Bridget,
I had a very nasty "friend" the first month also. It has slowly gotten better but even now still seems heavier than I was used to before dd was born.

Nucpharm,
So sorry to hear about your experience on NYE in the hotel. That doesn't sound like fun at all! I'm glad your home now and had a good visit.

T16GEM,
I'm happy to hear you had a wonderful NYE! I hope your business goes well so you can stay home with Shelby after your leave. It sounds like that is where your heart is.

Jill,
I'm praying for your family that your insurance gets their butts in gear and pays for the shots! It almost seems criminal to me that they would deny them .

Hillbeans,
OMG! Thank goodness Liam wasn't hurt with the glasses. I'm glad you had a fun NYE.

Joats,
I hope you found the carseat that you wanted.

Tasha,
I feel like Katrina is growing up sooo quickly too. I found out today that she can sit up by herself. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time because I'll miss the baby days when they are over. It is so exciting to watch her grow into her own person though. She is such a joy and blessing to our family .

Disney Enthusiast,
Your dd sounds like a typical two year old to me . I remember very vividly when we took DS to a photo studio at that age how hard it was to get a shot! You look at the picture now and you can't tell just how much time and aggravation went into getting it.

I think I got everyone .

We had a fabulous time at the football game yesterday ! It was the first time I have been to an NFL game and it was so neat to see the players in real life! The tickets we got were only 25 rows from the field and I think now I am spoiled because I don't think I will ever want to sit way up in the nosebleed section . It was really cold though. My feet felt like blocks of ice by the end. It was nice to have some time sans kids with DH.

Okay so who else is excited for the Gauntlet tonight? It's pathetic I know but I am .

 

[Alice28]

I'm looking forward to the Gauntlet!

I just have to say that right now I think I might actually hate my MIL. I will say no more, but she has pushed me to the edge. I am screening my calls today.

Another goodie bags option- bubbles.

Bridgette- I now recognize the clothes! Cute!

 

[nucpharm29]

Diskim--Good luck at work tomorrow. As for giving up my salary when I decided to stop working, it was easier than I thought. I sometimes miss the adult interaction more than the money. But I've never once regretted the decision to stay home. We have had some scares this past year with DH's company laying off workers left and right, but we made it unscathed. I'm also lucky to have a DH that lives for budgeting. He lets me know how much money I have to spend for the month, and I'm cool with that.

llij-Let me know if you decide to start WW again. I used WW to lose the weight after DD was born and I was amazed at how quickly I lost the weight. I"m on the fence about it now. I'm still bfeeding DS so that's a new issue. I know you get more points when your nursing, but I have a friend who tried WW while nursing and her milk dried up! So we'll see. I have about 20lbs of babyfat hanging around that I would love to see go bye-bye by this summer. Time to dust off the treadmill!

 

[lissawynn]

Evening all! I've spent most of my day organizing my home and doing laundry. Needless to say, I'm tired. My house is looking better, but we didn't get the tree down today. I'm going to make that a priority for this weekend.

DisKim - I really love being with Jimmy, but I also enjoy teaching too much to leave. I have had moments (like today) when I've thought about staying home, but I don't think I could do it. It's also a huge weight off my mind having my dad watch Jimmy. I couldn't find anyone other than DH or me who would do a better job.

Alice - I hope you are well. I am curious as to what your MIL did this time to push you to the edge, but that's the nosey part of me. I am also looking forward to tonight's Gauntlet. The teasers reek of drama, and Beth seems to be stirring the pot again.

I found a few things online at Oriental Trading Co. for Jimmy's goodie bags. I already have the bags (on sale at Target). I ordered snowman candy pop rings, snowman mugs, and snowman shaped "pads" that you can draw on, then lift the sheet and erase what you drew. I am going to include a packet of hot chocolate and maybe some individual packs of cookies or microwave popcorn. I also found a great site with a snowman cake. I was going to order a cake, but I know my sis (culinary schooled) and I can pull this off.

Ok, tell me if you think I'm nuts. Today my DS and I were talking about heading to WDW this summer with our boys and our dad. He's never been to WDW, and his wife has "allowed" him to go if we decide to take the trip (don't get me started about her). Last time we rented points at VWL, and WL is our favorite place to stay. So we're thinking about renting points again or staying at WL. Who has traveled with their parents, and how did it go if it was their first trip? We decided we'd pay for his room, ticket, and any "big" meals we'd have.

Ok, I have more laundry to fold! I also have chicken soup on the stove.

 

[DisKim]

I can't stay up for the Gauntlet tonight because I have to get up at stinking 5 am to go to work! I am not a happy camper today.

Alice28 - Are the MIL issues about the car? I remember you posting about that a little while ago. I like my MIL and FIL but can't stand the rest of DH's family. His brother's wife has to be the most obnoxious person I ever met. I've had to deal with her lately because we want to take a family portrail for my MIL's 70th birthday gift. We are supposed to be taking this picture on Wednesday night and my SIL will not commit to something to wear. I suggested jeans and white shirts. It has to be something easy for 13 people. She didn't like it and told me she would get back to me right away. That was 4 days ago!! I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to be like Jim Carrey in the movie Liar Liar and just explode and tell her what I think of her. OK, sorry to turn this into my IL issues.

nucpharm29 - I would certainly have issues with losing adult interaction. My three best friends are my co-workers. I would still see them but I would miss the day to day interaction. Of course, I'd rather interact with my kids from day to day.

I'm seriously thinking about transitioning to a SAHM. I really don't know if we could do it financially. It would be tough. Our mortgage is more than one of DH's paychecks. Aboout one quarter of his income comes from stipends that are only paid twice a year. His monthly take home stinks. I get angry with him that he doesn't make enough for me to stay home. It has become a serious issue in our marriage. I'm on child #3 (which I swore I'd never have if I still had to work ) and I'm still working! I feel like time is going so fast and I'm missing out on so much of their lives. Aside from that, I hate how tired I get from getting up at 5 am and working all day. I get short with the kids and I'm too tired to read to them before bed. DH does the bed time routine with them because I'm dead by 8 pm. On that note, I have to go re-read a short story that I assigned to my honors class over the break.

 

[lissawynn]

DisKim - Hang in there! If you ever need to grip during the school day, PM me! I check in on the DIS as often as I can!

 

[llij]

DisKim -

Lisawynn - I say go for it and go to WDW with your dad! I've been to WDW a million times (well, not a million but a lot ) with my parents and we have always had a blast with them. It helps that they took me many times when I was growing up (we were stationed in Jax, FL) so having them come with the grandkids was easy. My DH, DD's and I went last summer without my parents and it was actually strange and didn't feel the same without them. I'm sure you will have many magical memories by taking your dad for the first time with your kids.

Nucpharm29 - I'll keep you posted on how WW goes.

Alice28 - Sorry to hear you issues with your MIL. I'm hoping it smooths over for you soon.

Valerie - Glad to hear you had a great time at the football game. Last time I went to a football game was in '92. It was the Washington Redskins vs. the Raiders. Lots of fun!

 

[zalansky]

Hillbeans - I just wanted to wish you well on your return to work tomorrow.

Diskim - to you. My best friend is in the same situation as you in a way. She actually makes a little more than her DH (she is a 1st grade teacher in NY and makes good money) and she carries all the benefits. They could not make it financially without her income. She tells me all the time how she resents her husband for what she calls "not making enough money."

Alice 28 - I laughed out loud at your last post. I especially enjoyed it because I too, hate my MIL for more reasons than I care to count. Thanks for the chuckle, the way you worded that post was just so funny.

I, on the other hand, am giving my 2 weeks notice tomorrow to be a SAHM, and this is what I thought I had always wanted....yet I am nearly sick to my stomach thinking about it. I am just a mess, I never know what I want. Change is so scary for me. I know I am going to miss the adult interaction, that is the biggest part...a good friend of mine works there too, she helped get me the job and I am going to miss her so much, and that paycheck too... Oh well... I will check in from work tomorrow. See you all then.

 

[Alice28]

DisKim It was very hard for us to make the transition for me to be a SAHM. I will be honest and say that we owe more on our credit cards than anyone should be comfortable with as part of me not working (although we owed a lot before I quit too). And because we owe so much on credit cards right now, we are unable to pay for the extra car payment that we need to do. But it's so worth it to not have to juggle with daycare, to not feel like I'm running myself ragged, etc. We rarely charge anything anymore, and are making slow but definite progress on the cards. DH wouldn't have it any other way than me staying home- in fact, part of his argument for the 3rd baby was, "Have another baby- you stay home now...what the heck! Why not!" I watch my friends run themselves ragged with work and kids and daycare and I even advised one of them just to try it- even if it meant cutting corners a lot, or even having to charge things once in awhile, just to see how it went. Maybe that's wrong of me (I know there are some credit card nazis here on the DIS who think it's just wrong to carry any sort of balances, but to me, as long as we are only paying 4% interest and make more than minimum payments every month, I don't care. Our friends in the Bay Area had to pay $500-800K to own a home; I think THAT'S ridiculous! Not a few thousand bucks on a credit card).

I will be thinking of you tomorrow DisKim!

Lissawynn- I have vacationed 3 times at WDW with my parents and once with my MIL (one trip was both my parents and my MIL). The first trip with my folks was their first time and I planned the whole thing. We were able to sponsor them a room at Shades, who put us up in the CR for $70 a night (we we had our room at $66 a night at CR and our parents each a room for $70 or 80 a night). We were there 9 nights. My parents LOVED it! I scheduled most of our PS's but left out a night or two for them to do something on their own. They had both been to Disneyland several times, so they were familiar with Disney in general, but they just loved the expanse of WDW. My dad bought me a $120 snow globe as a 'thank you' gift for planning such a wonderful trip for them. AWww.....sweet Dad! Then my mom and I went just the two of us later that same year with the awesome Contemporary rate and the $99 military passes. Then, of course, I went with my parents and the kids this last Sept where they paid for the whole she-bang. I love my parents.

OK- since you asked, yes, my beef with my MIL is about the car thing. She's playing games with us, control games, and i won't play. Neither will DH. As I mentioned, my MIL has given my BIL and his wife (whom he is now separated from) at least 4 cars. They were her used cars, but at the most only 5 years old when she gave them to them. Right now my BIL is driving her 1 year old PT Cruiser (which she makes clear to me isn't his cause she hasn't signed the papers in his name, but gimme a break, for all intents and purposes, it's his) and she is 'saving' her 2001 decked out van to give to my SIL (whom she HATES) when she eventually will need a new car. MIL drives a 2005 Town and Country van. My SIL lives in one of my MIL's rental homes, sometimes she pays the rent, sometimes not. BIL lives with my MIL. DH and I have NEVER said a word to her about how things are 'unfair' or anything of the sort. My BIL has learning disabilities and needs help, or he and his 3 children would be on the street. And I thank God my MIL has the financial resources to keep his family afloat.

OK, enough background. My DH asked her for help in buying us a bigger car when he got home. She said, yes, I will help, but I don't know how much. But she NEVER said anything to me about having this conversation with Bob. And the last 2-3 times she has spoken to me, she GRILLS me on how I am going to pay for this new car that we need. (We HAVE to get something, cause we only have a 2002 Subaru Outback wagon right now- I can keep driving that, no big deal, but DH has to have something to drive to work in). I mean, GRILLS me. And then when I uncomfortably tell her our options, she discounts half of them. Like, I say, "Well if we can't afford the Tribeca (the car we really like), then we will just buy something used for DH to drive to work." and she'll say, "Well you have to have something reliable- he can't just drive something crappy." I said, "Well, if that's what we can afford, that's what we can afford!" And several other things she rebuffed me on, NEVER SAYING, "Well, I would like to help you guys- I told Bob I would help you and I will, so keep that in mind." Nope, she just keeps going round and round with me and finally I said, "I'm really not wanting to talk about this- it's up to Bob what we ultimately do."

So I wrote DH about it and he wrote her politely asking her to please not talk about it with me, cause I'm not comfortable talking about finances with her. And he said, Besides mom, a lot does depend on how much you are willing to give us, like we talked about. And then she denied talking about it! She said, "I thought you needed help with a furnace- your house smells funny." WTH?????????????????? We've NEVER asked her for help with a furnace!!!!!!!!!!! Yes it's old- Yes, I had the gas company come our FOUR YEARS AGO to check on a smell. But we have a small house and a furnace would cost no more than $1500 or so- not anything we can't handle.

I'm just mad because she's toying me along, putting me in the middle, and ultimately, paying for my BIL's cars, home, sports for their children....and yet the ONE DARN TIME we need some help, after a h*ll of a year, she's acting all jerky about it and acting like she cannot afford to give us more than a couple thousand dollars. My husband called her on her BS and told her to quit crying poor because she is not. Now she's mad at us and I don't give a rat's ***. Sorry. I have enough in the savings account to buy a very decent used car and a new furnace, so screw her.

And the best part- she told Dh about the surprise party I am planning in a few weeks. What a bi*ch. I can already hear her saying in her defensive, uppity tone, "I didn't know it was a surprise." BS. I've told everyone and their uncle about it and reiterated 10 times, IT'S A SURPRISE. She's just a cranky old control freak.

 

[Alice28]

I just reread my post and man, I sound like a brat! I hope y'all know me well enough, that I'm not!

FWIW- MIL has a net worth of at least 2 million dollars. So it's not like we're trying to milk her for money that's not there or be spoiled brats about the whole thing. She just claims none of the money is liquid and that she has to live on her pensions every month (which is 90% of the salary she and my FIL made as tenured teachers). She is afraid of doing anything with her money, cause my FIL pretty much handled all that, and she is PETRIFIED of messing with the mutual funds, etc. DH has tried explaining to her how they work, but she thinks he's still 12 and doesn't listen to him.

Did I tell you guys this story- she was complaining to me about just giving DH cash for a Christmas gift, because 'what if he spends it on something other than the clothes he needs?" I said, "he's a big boy- he can spend it on what is necessary, and right now he does need clothes." She said, "Well before he would always spend it on something stupid." and I said, "What are you talking about- WHEN?" And she says, I kid you not, "Well when he was 15 or 16, my parents gave him Christmas money & he went to Macys and spent it on COLOGNE! Can you beleive that? What teenage boy spends money on fancy cologne?" And I said, "ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOURSELF? You are talking about 20 years ago! And ALL the boys in the 80's spent money of friggin Polo! It was the preppy thing to do!" (DH and I were in the same preppy youth group at church and I think it was in the church guidelines that all boys had to buy Polo and all girls had to buy either Giorgio or Jessica McClintock perfurme).

 

[llij]

Alice28 - Your MIL sounds like a piece of work! I'm sorry that she is causing you so much trouble. I hope that she settles down soon especially with your DH coming home so soon. You don't sound like a brat at all. Your MIL is exactly like my grandmother was! Lots of similarities.....

Zalansky - Good luck tomorrow. I felt terrible when I quit my job. Part of me was excited to give notice, but part of me felt terrible. I almost cried when I told my boss that I would be quitting. I worked with wonderful people who became very dear friends. That was 10 years ago and I am still very close to some of them today. We still try to get together as much as possible. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow that all goes well!

Hillbeans - Good luck with your first day back tomorrow!