who wants to trade family members for the holidays?

[Soarin_04]

Last year, instead of another bottle of perfume for her and or yet another sweater for my godfather (her husband), we made quite a generous donation to one of the charities that I know she donates to.

I thought she'd be happy, and I thought since she was my GODmother, I was living up to the whole good Christian thing by give to others in need in her name.

Wow, was I wrong!

She went positively POSTAL upon receipt of that notification in the mail and called all the cousins and told them how I'd sent her a "fake" donation.

No prob. She's off the list. In fact, last year after I found out about her tantrum, I sent her a copy of the cancelled check for a New Year's Eve present!

 

[C.Ann]

Last year, instead of another bottle of perfume for her and or yet another sweater for my godfather (her husband), we made quite a generous donation to one of the charities that I know she donates to.

I thought she'd be happy, and I thought since she was my GODmother, I was living up to the whole good Christian thing by give to others in need in her name.

Wow, was I wrong!

She went positively POSTAL upon receipt of that notification in the mail and called all the cousins and told them how I'd sent her a "fake" donation.

No prob. She's off the list. In fact, last year after I found out about her tantrum, I sent her a copy of the cancelled check for a New Year's Eve present!

Oh man - I'm lovin' this thread.. The descriptions you folks give are hysterical!

 

[xanphylus]

Last year, instead of another bottle of perfume for her and or yet another sweater for my godfather (her husband), we made quite a generous donation to one of the charities that I know she donates to.

I thought she'd be happy, and I thought since she was my GODmother, I was living up to the whole good Christian thing by give to others in need in her name.

Wow, was I wrong!

She went positively POSTAL upon receipt of that notification in the mail and called all the cousins and told them how I'd sent her a "fake" donation.

No prob. She's off the list. In fact, last year after I found out about her tantrum, I sent her a copy of the cancelled check for a New Year's Eve present!

I love this- the canceled check is a magical ending!!

I also like the bingo card idea- I may have to do that one for either of my next family trips- my family's house or the in laws. Could go either way as both have crazies!

 

[cjdj4]

Are we sharing coping secrets now? OH! ME ME ME!


I highly recommend this. If you have to go to a dysfunctional family celebration and you can't even predict the crazy things that may happen there and you are dreading it like no other event......... get together with your spouse and MAKE BINGO CARDS before you go. Just the two of you. Each of you will have your own card and fill in your own squares. Example: MIL will become drunk or SIL will walk out of the party mad.
When you get home, the two of you can have some fun seeing who got the most squares right. I guarantee you'll say at least once h shoot! I didn't think of THAT!"

Thank you for this excellent idea! DH and I are sitting here considering what squares we should use. So far we have - MY MIL tells my sis that she is so happy now that sis got married and is an "Honest woman," UIL steals somebodies cash/wallet, Gram makes terrible cookies she forces you to eat, DF drinks too much and passes out on the couch by 7 pm (time is under review - DH thinks he may make it til 8), Gramp asks Sis when she is having a baby, AIL gets angry at MIL because she is losing a game of yatzee. MIL snaps at FIL ( this could take up the whole card. we may make this a bonus square).

Yay holidays!

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

This thread is awesome

I'm torn, do I keep my crazy relatives or try some new ones this year?

I'm jealous of the PPs with small families and no crazies. I venture to guess 80% of my family is kooky. Given how many odd ones we have I would be happy to take a few of your relatives off your hands this season. I'm sure they would fit right in at our holiday celebrations. Please send a BINGO card (Thanks Grumpy's Gal) with each relative so I can keep track of their behavior.

 

[disneymom3]

Oh I forgot the gift thing and we have a winner this year! DHs sisters have decided that we need to have a while elephant gift exchange. We are supposed to bring something nice and something to regift. We don't have things to regift. If we get somethign we don't want, we take it to Goodwill. So, a friend of mine, thinks that to make my life easier, I should just go buy something from Goodwill and give that.

 

[C.Ann]

This thread is awesome

I'm torn, do I keep my crazy relatives or try some new ones this year?

I'm jealous of the PPs with small families and no crazies. I venture to guess 80% of my family is kooky. Given how many odd ones we have I would be happy to take a few of your relatives off your hands this season. I'm sure they would fit right in at our holiday celebrations. Please send a BINGO card (Thanks Grumpy's Gal) with each relative so I can keep track of their behavior.

Well look at it this way - if you all traded, at least you would end up having a brand new experience this year! Who knows? You might actually want to keep whoever you get...

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

you can print a blank bingo card here
http://www.bingocardprinter.com/bingo_blank.php


and I wasn't joking -- it really helps! When we've had a day that we'd rather not repeat, we get home, get a snack and put on our pj's. Often times we are in bed whispering back and forth so the kids don't hear.....we each get a pencil to track what squares we won on the card and before long, we're in tears laughing so hard.

I know that may sounds cruel but honestly, it's the only way I can get thru the dysfunctional holiday sometimes.

 

[disney*mom*82]

This tread is great!

As for the gift, my grandma was like that, so one year we paid for her newspaper for the whole year and had them promise to put it in a grocery bag on her doorknob everyday so she wouldnt have to go far to get it! She was very happy with it and it was something she couldnt not accept!

As far as the family member give away! I solved this problem this year....I told DH that I do not want to be home this year for Christmas this year, told him to let me have a try at a fun, stressful, wonderful Christmas with us and our kids ONLY! I won and we are going to Disney World We will be there 12/21-1/2 and Im not even going to mess with the whole gift exchange this year, told them all to just do it without us. Im super excited

If I were to give one away though....Ide give up an older sister. She is one that will "thank the Lord" for all the FREE gifts that just appeared for her kids AGAIN this year (while she doesnt go to church or try to buy her kids gifts) she will put together some story how she is working real hard at some job (that doesnt exsist or wont last long) and how she is doing great by her kids (which she doesnt care for). She is just that start of why I will not be here for Christmas. Im sure you can still have her though!

 

[Planogirl]

Oh I forgot the gift thing and we have a winner this year! DHs sisters have decided that we need to have a while elephant gift exchange. We are supposed to bring something nice and something to regift. We don't have things to regift. If we get somethign we don't want, we take it to Goodwill. So, a friend of mine, thinks that to make my life easier, I should just go buy something from Goodwill and give that.

Be careful with that white elephant thing. We used to do that with the in-laws and for some reason one sister-in-law really hated what we brought one year. The others didn't but she went on and on at how horrible it was. I ended up trading for it because I liked it. Her donation was a plain blanket.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I am pretty lucky with my family - no one that I would even consider giving up for anyone on this thread.

Initially I thought about offering up my SIL or FIL but now I think I can deal with their crazy!

Although - I was thinking we could have DIS meets for all of our families. Each city can host one - tell your crazy relatives that you will be hosting them at a local hall this year - when they arrive they will be greeted by the other crazy DIS relatives and then all the DISers can enjoy a peaceful holiday!!

 

[WeekdayDisneyland]

You know what? This year I want to be the crazy relative. It's got to be more fun than being the quiet, tolerant one. This year I want to be the one who drinks too much, not help out and complain loudly about the dumbest things.

On second thought, maybe I'll just stick with being the quiet, tolerant one. At least I'll still have my dignity after the holidays are over.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

You know what? This year I want to be the crazy relative. It's got to be more fun than being the quiet, tolerant one. This year I want to be the one who drinks too much, not help out and complain loudly about the dumbest things.
QUOTE]

I tried this once, it was fun, but the hangover hurt.

 

[jandel]

I'd like to donate some, scratch that, all of DH's relatives and half of mine:

SIL #1: Crackhead/Alcoholic (aka victim) who spends her day thanking the "gud lord" for her blessings. You know, her blessings....not being in jail, not getting the DTs that day, remembering her name etc.. The last time this gem stayed with FIL she left in the middle of the night, taking everything she could carry, including food from his pantry!

SIL #2: The one with the near-genius IQ who can't quite figure out how to be happy. Or nice. Or a useful member of society. Her oldest just got a full, 4-year ride to a great university and all she can say is "he must take after me." One Christmas this sweetheart gave me a pair of Dollar Tree socks...with the price tag still on them

DBIL: Well, we won't worry about him until his sentence is completed.

To explain my family would take too long and I'm fresh out of Xanax

 

[stitchlovestink]

This tread is great!

As for the gift, my grandma was like that, so one year we paid for her newspaper for the whole year and had them promise to put it in a grocery bag on her doorknob everyday so she wouldnt have to go far to get it! She was very happy with it and it was something she couldnt not accept!

As far as the family member give away! I solved this problem this year....I told DH that I do not want to be home this year for Christmas this year, told him to let me have a try at a fun, stressful, wonderful Christmas with us and our kids ONLY! I won and we are going to Disney World We will be there 12/21-1/2 and Im not even going to mess with the whole gift exchange this year, told them all to just do it without us. Im super excited

If I were to give one away though....Ide give up an older sister. She is one that will "thank the Lord" for all the FREE gifts that just appeared for her kids AGAIN this year (while she doesnt go to church or try to buy her kids gifts) she will put together some story how she is working real hard at some job (that doesnt exsist or wont last long) and how she is doing great by her kids (which she doesnt care for). She is just that start of why I will not be here for Christmas. Im sure you can still have her though!

bolding is mine...
did you possibly mean "stress-free"??
I'd say that falls into the freudian slip category if I ever saw one!

if it were only that easy to give away relatives...

 

[bettyann29]

....

 

[Cindyrellablue]

I'd like to donate my DH's family...except his Dad...he doesn't say much.

Newly-wed, this May, I'm trying very hard to adjust to his family, or at least have some sort of acceptance....it's not working.

When learning that DH and I became engaged, his Aunt and mother took it upon themselves to find someone more appropriate for him...to the point of driving to places of business to find girls that they've heard about in the community.

His two male cousins were employed by the family to convince DH that he should not marry someone outside of his nationality (he considers himself American btw)...and dilute his proud blood line...really??? DH didn't get that either.

So, every holiday, we visit with my family and have an early dinner and then go to his family's house where everyone just pretends to be nice to everyone else. Given the chance, they talk about anyone who happens to leave the room. Usually, I end up sitting quietly at the table and don't say a word...although they all speak English, it's all Armenian at that dinner table and DH tries very hard to translate for me (he's getting better at it ). I since learned the slang word for non-Armenian, so I can figure out they are speaking about me when DH leaves the room.


I will take any, any family that will speak English around me and not look down on me for being American/Korean mix. Crazy or not...I'll take your family!

 

[moongirl]

First for the grandparents that have it all: airline gift certificates so they can visit whomever/wherever they want.

My donation to the relative exchange: my step-mother. Any gift is either too extravagant thus showing off how rich we are (we're talking $40 gifts here), too practical (proving we can't get her something special) or not to her taste. I give up! She actually says this stuff out loud!

 

[tlbwriter]

Usually, I end up sitting quietly at the table and don't say a word...although they all speak English, it's all Armenian at that dinner table and DH tries very hard to translate for me (he's getting better at it ). I since learned the slang word for non-Armenian, so I can figure out they are speaking about me when DH leaves the room.

If my family deliberately spoke a language my husband couldn't understand, even though they could speak English, I wouldn't spend holidays with them. That's simply mean, and how could I ask someone I love to spend his holiday with people who are mean to him?

 

[dumbocutie]

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