What would you do-Christmas??

[golfgal]

This year we have decided to go to my Dad and Step-Mom's for Christmas (they want to have a family Christmas at their place-10 hour drive for us). They want our family and my sister's family to come down. This is the year for my sister's family to go to the in-law's for Christmas so, they will go down to the in-laws for a couple days before Christmas, spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there then drive down to Dad's on Saturday. She asked that we wait to have Christmas on Sunday so they aren't an "afterthough (her words)". I told her that we plan to open our gifts with the kids and Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Day like we always do and when they get there we can do a second round of gift opening with them. I am sure we will have our big Christmas meal when they get there too. Well, my sister got all mad that we won't accommodate them. I asked her if they were going to make their kids wait and not open all of their presents until they got to Dad's house too. She didn't answer that one.

So, what would you do, keep your tradition or sit around on Christmas and do nothing (since nothing is open on Christmas)?

 

[lillygator]

This year we have decided to go to my Dad and Step-Mom's for Christmas (they want to have a family Christmas at their place-10 hour drive for us). They want our family and my sister's family to come down. This is the year for my sister's family to go to the in-law's for Christmas so, they will go down to the in-laws for a couple days before Christmas, spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there then drive down to Dad's on Saturday. She asked that we wait to have Christmas on Sunday so they aren't an "afterthough (her words)". I told her that we plan to open our gifts with the kids and Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Day like we always do and when they get there we can do a second round of gift opening with them. I am sure we will have our big Christmas meal when they get there too. Well, my sister got all mad that we won't accommodate them. I asked her if they were going to make their kids wait and not open all of their presents until they got to Dad's house too. She didn't answer that one.

So, what would you do, keep your tradition or sit around on Christmas and do nothing (since nothing is open on Christmas)?

open them on xmas.

 

[disykat]

I would wait for her answer to your very valid question about their plans for holding off Christmas. Until she answers that they are also waiting, I would plan to open presents on Christmas Day and look forward to a second celebration with them.

 

[NMAmy]

Have Christmas as usual and then a second round when the sister's family arrives.

It never fails to amaze me how weird grown adults can get about Christmas. (Not you, OP, your sister.)

 

[JessicaR]

I don't think that was fair of your sister to ask you to postpone Christmas. Like you said you will all celebrate when they get there.

Is it at all possible that she can come to your fathers and go to the in-laws the day after, just this year? I know what its like to have to alternate but sometimes special accommodations can be made. There is plenty of advance time to try and work that out.

If not I would just look forward to two celebrations, one Christmas day and another when they arrive! She shouldn't really expect your kids to postpone Christmas.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Now, I would wait however my kids and my DH would probably not go for that.

What does your family/parents say?

 

[brockash]

Your DSis is crazy. Who in their right mind would not allow their kids to open their x-mas presents on x-mas day, just so they can wait around until their Aunt and her kids (who have already opened the majority of their presents) get there. That's nuts. Maybe you guys could decide to not let them open the presents from your DSis and maybe your dad until they get their??? But it's completely crazy for her to ask you to not let your kids open any gifts on x-mas.

This year we have decided to go to my Dad and Step-Mom's for Christmas (they want to have a family Christmas at their place-10 hour drive for us). They want our family and my sister's family to come down. This is the year for my sister's family to go to the in-law's for Christmas so, they will go down to the in-laws for a couple days before Christmas, spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there then drive down to Dad's on Saturday. She asked that we wait to have Christmas on Sunday so they aren't an "afterthough (her words)". I told her that we plan to open our gifts with the kids and Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Day like we always do and when they get there we can do a second round of gift opening with them. I am sure we will have our big Christmas meal when they get there too. Well, my sister got all mad that we won't accommodate them. I asked her if they were going to make their kids wait and not open all of their presents until they got to Dad's house too. She didn't answer that one.

So, what would you do, keep your tradition or sit around on Christmas and do nothing (since nothing is open on Christmas)?

 

[golfgal]

I don't think that was fair of your sister to ask you to postpone Christmas. Like you said you will all celebrate when they get there.

Is it at all possible that she can come to your fathers and go to the in-laws the day after, just this year? I know what its like to have to alternate but sometimes special accommodations can be made. There is plenty of advance time to try and work that out.

If not I would just look forward to two celebrations, one Christmas day and another when they arrive! She shouldn't really expect your kids to postpone Christmas.

No, his whole family gets together on Christmas every other year. For MY in-laws (DH's family) we moved our Christmas celebration off of Christmas for this exact reason-so each individual family could have their own traditions.

Now, I would wait however my kids and my DH would probably not go for that.

What does your family/parents say?

I haven't talked to them about this specifically yet but my guess is they will want to do what I have said, have Christmas on Christmas and then open presents and have the big meal when my sister and family gets there. We will be down there next weekend so I am sure we will discuss this.

Just a side not and the reason I posted this is that my sister ALWAYS wants everyone to "accommodate" her so I wasn't sure if I was being snotty or not. Several years ago we had planned a golf trip with my Dad, Step-mom, DH and I. My sister found out and wanted to do a family trip. OK, we had already made reservations, t-times, etc. but the place were were staying could fit them too. Well, she got all mad because silly us, we went golfing and she couldn't come (can't bring walk-alongs and she doesn't golf). Everytime we wanted to do something it had to be done her way (and is for everything). If the rest of us want to meet at 1:00 she will say 2:00 and gets mad if we don't change for her because she always has something else going on .

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Oh well if this sister is demando type, I would take lots of pictures and video tape of them opening presents and then show it to her when she comes.

 

[2binak]

I say keep your tradition.

After college, I moved a few hours away home and would alternate between my family and DH's family for Christmas. There's no way in heck I would have asked my siblings & their kids to hold off on opening gifts. We simply had another round of gift giving when we arrived a day or two later or on New Year's Eve. Your sister is already spending a few days with her in-laws. If it means that much to her to be with you and your father to celebrate Christmas, she can make the effort to be with you all on Christmas morning.

PS - I love your question to her and the fact that she did not answer you speaks volumes!

 

[EthansMom]

Your sister's a nutter... and a controlling one at that.

 

[klacey1]

PSh, forget that! Tell her you are having two Christmases, your kids can open their gifts from you on Dec. 25th and you'll open gifts from your sister when she gets there. Period.

 

[jen0610]

I go with open on Christmas. Now, if on Christmas day, between all the parties at your Dad's house make a decision to save some of the gifts to open later, when the rest of the family is there, then do that. But to hold off on ALL the gifts, I don't think so.

One year, and it's only happened once, did we not do our normal routine. It was the year both of my brothers came home for Christmas. The one brother didn't want to stay at mom and dad, he's a smoker, their not, so he booked a suite for him, his partner and my other brother to stay at.

Because this was to be a big family Christmas, instead of staying at our house, mom asked DH, I and the kids to bring all of our family gifts over, spending Christmas Eve at their house. I asked if we would be doing things as normal - up 7/8 o'clock, open stocking while breakfast cooked, start opening gifts if the food wasn't ready, eat, then finish opening gifts. Was told that was what we were doing. Ok no problem, even though DH was not the happiest with the plan.

Making it short, my brothers didn't show up to mom and dads until almost 11 o'clock. We had already let the kids do their stocking and started opening presents. Mom complained the whole time, that we just needed to wait a bit long. That was not going to happen. The 6 and 3 1/2 year old were not going to be made to wait any longer. DH wasn't happy, I wasn't happy, and my youngest brother was ticked beyond words at the other brother.

The brother who caused the issue, hasn't been back for Christmas since. He knows we won't work on his priority schedule. And don't ask us to travel to FL for Christmas either..it's a whole lot cheaper for 1 to come back to IN, then 4 to go to FL.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Have Christmas as usual and then a second round when the sister's family arrives.

It never fails to amaze me how weird grown adults can get about Christmas. (Not you, OP, your sister.)

ITA!!

 

[EthansMom]

Making it short, my brothers didn't show up to mom and dads until almost 11 o'clock. We had already let the kids do their stocking and started opening presents. Mom complained the whole time, that we just needed to wait a bit long. That was not going to happen. The 6 and 3 1/2 year old were not going to be made to wait any longer. DH wasn't happy, I wasn't happy, and my youngest brother was ticked beyond words at the other brother.

The brother who caused the issue, hasn't been back for Christmas since. He knows we won't work on his priority schedule. And don't ask us to travel to FL for Christmas either..it's a whole lot cheaper for 1 to come back to IN, then 4 to go to FL.

We had a Thanksgiving like that. Three generations of hungry family members spent over 3 hours waiting, while dinner got cold, for the hostess's son to decide to show up for dinner.

 

[Tink888]

I would keep your tradition and have a second celebration when she gets there.

If I'm understanding this right you'd all be opening the gifts from her during the second celebration and her kids would open your gifts on the second celebration? The only thing she'd miss is gift exchanges that aren't to or from her anyway right? I don't understand why she'd make a fuss about that when she is the one choosing to come later anyway. I say enjoy your Christmas on Christmas.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We had a Thanksgiving like that. Three generations of hungry family members spent over 3 hours waiting, while dinner got cold, for the hostess's son to decide to show up for dinner.

3hrs? That is past the food borne illness time. I wouldn't be able to eat. Bleech. I would have gotten "ill" and went home.

 

[rigs32]

And don't ask us to travel to FL for Christmas either..it's a whole lot cheaper for 1 to come back to IN, then 4 to go to FL.

While true, if he foots the bill to travel each and every year, then over the course of a lifetime he'll have spent an awful lot more... I have some family that think I should always travel and "I don't have the money" falls on deaf ears.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

This year we have decided to go to my Dad and Step-Mom's for Christmas (they want to have a family Christmas at their place-10 hour drive for us). They want our family and my sister's family to come down. This is the year for my sister's family to go to the in-law's for Christmas so, they will go down to the in-laws for a couple days before Christmas, spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there then drive down to Dad's on Saturday. She asked that we wait to have Christmas on Sunday so they aren't an "afterthough (her words)". I told her that we plan to open our gifts with the kids and Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Day like we always do and when they get there we can do a second round of gift opening with them. I am sure we will have our big Christmas meal when they get there too. Well, my sister got all mad that we won't accommodate them. I asked her if they were going to make their kids wait and not open all of their presents until they got to Dad's house too. She didn't answer that one.

So, what would you do, keep your tradition or sit around on Christmas and do nothing (since nothing is open on Christmas)?

I wouldn't wait until after Christmas. What if there is 10 inches of snow coming down Christmas night where they are and they can't drive over?

I would do your Christmas as normal and when they arrive the next day do it all over again. They should understand.

Enjoy and can't believe Christmas is right around the corner.

Jason

 

[diznygirl]

What makes her so special that she can alter space and time to change the date of a holiday? Christmas is on Christmas and that's that!