who wants to trade family members for the holidays?

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Someone please take my MIL, I will throw in a $50 Disney gift card for your trouble! She lives 15 minutes away and never calls, never visits and never helped out with DD while DH traveled for work Mon-Thur every week. Even when she had an entire summer off from work she was MIA.

She is very immature, just 2 weeks ago she copped an attitue with my DD because DD didn't want to sit next to her, when DD called to apologize later my MIL said "whatever" hung up the phone on her! SHE CROSSED THE LINE! So, today is DD's 5th birthday... Has she called?... NO! Has she called back to let us know if she is going out to dinner with us? (it is 4:15pm and we said I would pick her up at 4:45)... NO! She is a selfish brat and I am so done you could stick a fork in me!

 

[luvsJack]

All I can say is, I guess I know what I am thankful for this year!!!

As for the grandparent gifts, gc to the car wash, salon, barber, or anywhere they go on a regular basis. And, I have come to realize that with most senior citizens, if you want to give them a gc to a resteraunt, go for a place they normally go to. Don't try to get them out of their comfort zone, kwim?

 

[budbeerlady]

She is very immature, just 2 weeks ago she copped an attitue with my DD because DD didn't want to sit next to her, when DD called to apologize later my MIL said "whatever" hung up the phone on her! SHE CROSSED THE LINE! So, today is DD's 5th birthday... Has she called?... NO! Has she called back to let us know if she is going out to dinner with us? (it is 4:15pm and we said I would pick her up at 4:45)... NO! She is a selfish brat and I am so done you could stick a fork in me!

Woohoo, being petty with a 5yr old! That screams adult!

I wouldnt wish mine on anyone, rude, self centered and occasionally a copy cat that can be too fun to mess with... Hey, the sister in law brings it on herself!

 

[maxiesmom]

I will throw in my dad. He wants to do everything his way, on his terms. But he doesn't share what those are until the last possible minute. And then if you don't fall in with those plans, oh boy, the crap hits the fan!

I've joked with my mom before that we should just run away for the holidays. Bad thing is we both work retail, so that just isn't going to happen.

 

[superme80]

Anyone want my sister???? Because well...I just don't like her! I have spent the last 12 years of my life trying to find a reason to like her. This year I realized I don't like her and I never well. She is a pathological liar who has "psychological" issues, with "health" problems, and about 15 million other problems. She is mad that DH and I are getting my parents tickets to the theatre for Christmas. Gee when your husband actually works for a living and doesn't mooch off the government you can actually SAVE for stuff! Anyone want her cause I don't!

 

[ENSOCK]

I would like to throw in a niece who thinks the sun rises and sets only for her.
She likes to control everything and thinks everything rotates around her. NOw that she has kids it is even worse. I am thinking of skipping Christmas eve this year and getting together with the rest of the family on Christmas day just so I don't have to deal with the drama and hurt feelings she causes.

 

[timzagain]

Hilarious! Can I throw in my father-in-law?

He is easily the most obnoxious, cruel, evil man I have ever met! I have a pretty good command of the English language, but words escape me when I try to describe what a beast the man is!

The only drawback with dissociating ourselves from the FIL from hell, is that MIL, a wonderful woman that I love dearly, will be cut off from everyone too. His children and grandchildren (and just about every normal civilized person in the country) want very little to do with him, and only tolerate him for the sake of MIL.

MIL is welcome at my home anytime, but I swear that if my FIL turns up on my doorstep, not only will I leave him there, I will call the police to have his trespassing butt removed from my property!

To sweeten the deal, I'd also like to include BIL's significant other - motor mouth, too nosy, too loud and too little substance!

 

[spacemountainmom]

I've got one of those MIL's too! Maybe we can trade and see if one's better than the other.

Mine thinks one of her kids is the greatest and the rest.... well, we won't go there. And as for grandchildren- the only grandchild that matters is the first one born to each of her children... which leaves my DS2 out in the cold. He is my first, my DH's second. So he is nothing to grandma. UGH!

Oh........me too! Except, my MIL thinks the world revolves around her daughter and oldest granddaughter. My nephew, DH and kids barely are noticed.

My IL's are impossible to buy for and horribly ungracious no matter what you give them. The real fun is that FIL's b-day is in Dec and MIL's is in Jan. Triple the holiday fun for for me. Last year MIL emailed me and pretty much just demanded a check. I thought DH was going to have a stroke when I showed it to him. He just wants to tell them to stop buying for us, but doesn't dare. Last week I got the dreaded, "what do you want for Christmas?" email....I've been ignoring it so far.

On the plus side, they live on the other side of the country and we only see them once a year. The once a year is NOT during the holiday season!

 

[KS Dis Mom]

Do your grandparents go and have coffee with friends? You might buy a gift card for coffee. I have coffee with a group of women from 3 different generations and this was the best gift that our oldest member received from family.

Can I throw in my MIL? She is constantly talking about her last cruise (or the one that they are going to take). She and FIL constantly fight (loudly) in front of family members. We live five hours away but they cannot come and visit us during the summer (they are both retired) because she has to take care of her flowers. Our kids said that they never want to stay with them again because of the constant fighting. DH says that they have always been like this. They never call us, we have to call them every week for the grandkids to talk to them.

They also go to about every game of BILs kids (who live an hour away) but have only been to one of DS baseball games then left because they wanted to eat on the way home to take care of the flowers.

The only time she cooks is either Thanksgiving or Christmas. They start bugging us for Christmas lists before Thanksgiving (already done). We hardly get anything on the lists and then we hear all about the great deals she got on the gifts.

I could keep going, but you get the picture...

I am so glad that I am not alone.

 

[Belle5]

Well, I WOULD have thrown my in-laws in, but FIL is now deceased and MIL doesn't know anyone and is on Hospice for alzheimer's. I could have curled your hair with their stories...

 

[C.Ann]

Oh my gosh - what a clever idea!

Unfortunately, I got nothing..

Wait! That doesn't mean I have to take 2 others - does it?

Darn! I should have read the "rules" better before I posted..

 

[JaymeC]

I'll take anyone who will trade for my mother. Actually, she may not be nearly as bad with someone besides me. I was the 'perfect' child growing up, and still everything got blamed on me that could. It was my fault her relationship with her husband struggled. My fault she struggled in every single way. Amazing how many struggles I caused considering I was probably the most easy going teen I ever knew... Then I did the horrible of horrible and dropped out of school to marry dh. I did eventually go back (changing my major from the one SHE wanted) and finish my degree, but I dropped out to begin with! Now her most obvious problem is simply that I hate her. It doesn't matter that I paid over 1k for her to come visit us in Japan, or any of the other things I've done to try to help her. All that matters is that I must simply hate her.

The sad part is all of this started back when I was 10, right after my father's death and she managed to drive every other family member away so the only people I really have contact with on my side of the family are my mother and my grandfather and my siblings, who are all at varying degrees of lacking the ability to function in society

Dh joked with me when we got married that I could 'adopt' his family if I wanted to. I don't think he realized until many years later how much that actually meant to me. We don't live close to either family, but I adore my in-laws.

My kids have also never felt that they were disfavored... we're not near anyone for them to compare to, but not a single person on either side of the family has sent them Christmas gifts ever. I don't mind, they're happy with the stuff they get from mommy, daddy, and Santa And I was relieved not to have to try to find a spot for all those extra toys

As for gifts, I do a lot of photo gifts cause my children are young. It's easy to make them I also do giftcards for dinners out, movies, etc. And plane tickets, but I'm sure that's not helpful for most

 

[No.17CherryTreeLane]

Awesome topic!

Would anyone like to borrow my niece for the Holidays?

She is horrified with the prospect receiving gifts that are "sub-standard". So this year she, her husband, and her two precious daughters are registered at Macy's.

That's right...registered...as in "Are you kidding me, I thought that was for weddings and baby showers?"

Of course, she did this as a favor to the rest of the family - to make our shopping experience easier and to avoid those pesky feelings of awkwardness which arise from giving gifts that are .... disappointing.

See how thoughtful she is?

Someone take her....please.

 

[C.Ann]

She is horrified with the prospect receiving gifts that are "sub-standard". So this year she, her husband, and her two precious daughters are registered at Macy's.

That's right...registered...as in "Are you kidding me, I thought that was for weddings and baby showers?".[/B]

Please tell me you're kidding..

 

[leight]

Ooohhhh! I want in! I have a matched set- my mom and brother go together. They live together (he's 40) and she basically supports him. She's flat out told me that he can't really support himself so she is leaving her house to him and wanted me to help pay the mortgage to make it easier on him!

He's rude and obnoxious to my daughters, but doesn't hesitate to leave his 4 yr old son(now 5) unattended in their care. When we had to stay at my mom's house for a month while we waited to close on our house he kept telling me how I was inconveniencing him. He felt that he could eat any of the food we brought into the house for us and said that I should be doing his laundry when I did my family's. He pays my mom nothing and she bought his car, pays his insurance, and helps him with his child support payments. During the month we stayed there, I paid the electric and gave her $200 cash towards any extras.

My mom will be nice in public but will say horrible things behind closed doors. She will tell me to lose weight or lose my husband. She told my daughter(then 12) that my dh is a horrible father and called my daughter a nasty curse when I confronted her.

She returns almost everything that you give her and demands that you provide a cash receipt(she doesn't want store credit). But she will buy at Target,walmart and outlets but remove ALL tags so you can't return it!

I'm open to all bids!

 

[Vickie46]

I will give my Mother in law, Father in law, Brother and Sister in law! I will give you all 4.. and I don't want anything in return!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL

 

[cheshireqt]

Trading one MIL and FIL comes with it. Don't worry, it won't matter what you get either of them or how much you spend they will not thank you or acknowledge that they received a gift from you at all! Unless she really does not like her gift, you will know for sure because she will send it back to you as an "easter" gift with a note telling you not to be offended but she really cannot use whatever it was.

Rest of DH's family and mine I will keep

 

[hereyago]

Ok, my DM grates my nerves all year long, because I am the ONLY one that doesn't enable her. However, I am not a fan of the holidays.


Something happens every holiday and vacation, except weekend before last I took DD to WDW and nothing bad happened.

But honestly, some of ya'll's family needs this: go to youtube and put in: boot to the head. it is a cartoon anime type thing, but it's a cute message.

 

[NVDisMom]

Up for grabs...One MIL who has blatantly told my children that it would be wonderful if Daddy lost his job (I am a SAHM) so that we would have to move in with them. I am assuming I would be welcome too, if DH insisted. Her DD refuses to speak to her. The last email string that was forwarded to us between them (MIL forwarded it) basically informed MIL that DD did not need the stress that MIL likes to inflict on those around her with her guilt and entitlement issues. I thought it summed it up quite well. The last email I got informed me that we should do two Thanksgivings. We do Thanksgiving and Christmas since we have the only children in the family and the only "other side" of the family. Both my mom and brother work the day before and after, so travel is out and they have no one else besides each other and my family. MIL's Thanksgiving will be at 2. So let's see...two hour drive there means we have to leave home by noon. Do I do my Thanksgiving at 11am and kick every body out so we can make hers? I don't think so.

 

[pearlieq]

Wanted: One big, giant family. Even at our fullest, we've always been a small family and these days, we're down to just 3. I've always wanted the gigantic family experience where there are 40 people at grandma's house for Christmas and there are card tables and a million kids running around and a drunk uncle, chaos, and drama.

If you have one of those, please let me know. I'd love to try it out for a year. I'd be happy to buy everyone presents. I'll eat almost anything and have endless patience for small talk and elderly folks!

Offer: Just the 3 of us. Have you ever wanted a quiet escape one year? The chance to stay home and watch the whole Disney parade live without having to pile in the car to visit someone? The chance to eat whatever you want or even go out for the holidays? A teeny-tiny gift budget? An indulgent nap in the middle of the afternoon? First crack at the post-Christmas sales? No one asking you about your love life, plans to have children, or the raising of said children?

If so, let's swap! Mom and DH buy great gifts and sleep most of the day away. They're happy with anything from pizza to Boston Market. You'd hardly have to lift a finger!