BusynMember
Well-Known Member
Every year it is a real challenge to get everyone together for the holidays. Often we have chosen to have our holidays before or after the holidays to make it easier to get everyone together. But it still always hits some sort of snag and I hate that.
This year is worse.
Julie is the one who usually cooks and make a delicious, chef-inspired meal, but she has a five month old baby now and we Skyped yesterday and she expressed her tension about doing it this year with little help and a baby. I offered to come the day before to watch my lil everything (granddaughter) and Jumper was supposed to come with. She could help move furniture and cook. The moving furniture is because the house is small and requires the entire house's furniture to be moved around. In other years, she didn't mind. This year, with a baby who tires her mommy out, not so much. On top of that, Jumper isn't coming until she drives up the day of Thanksgiving because she has an important basketball game on Thanksgiving Eve night. You read that right. They scheduled a game the night (5:30pm) before Thanksgiving. She is to drive up the next morning. So she can't help. Jumper is only in from college for a few days for Thanksgiving break so we can't go on a weekend and all be there and we want to all be there, if we can.
I am sensitive to all of my adult children (ex doesn't seem to catch on) and my daughter Julie is the type of young woman who likes to please everyone yet she does get very stressed and I could hear it in her voice. I decided to call my ex to see if we could just order a dinner from a higher end grocery store and split the cost so that Julie didn't have to cook this year. He agreed. He also offered his house, which is much bigger than hers. Now in his house he has no big table for all to sit around, but we are a casual bunch and sitting on couches with TV trays is fine with us.
Julie's mother in law is a difficult child, always telling her she isn't doing this or that right and upsetting her. I often want to punch her...lol. She has no idea how to take care of a baby beyond what it was like in the 1960s and the kids, her son included, are doing a great job. The baby is happy as a clam. I guess SHE wants a traditional dinner cooked by my daughter. Nice of her, huh? I thought to myself, "Lady, YOU cook. I'll be watching the baby. My son will be moving the furniture. YOU CAN COOK IF YOU WANT A HOME COOKED MEAL THAT BADLY." Of course she won't and I hear she is a horrible cook. I'm not great shakes either, by the way.
Anyhow, Julie is going to talk it over with her SO and if he agrees, we will be having a cozy, quiet, fun Thanksgiving that Julie did not have to cook. I am crossing my fingers that her SO takes her side. He is reasonable and usually does...but he IS kind of overly attached to his mother, although they fight constantly. Let's just sayl, they do have a relationship, but they are always arguing. But at times he does give into her and my daughter is big on her and SO talking everything over before making decisions.
I sincerely hope the ordered dinner wins this year. It will be a win/win for all. And I still get to love on my precious granddaughter.
I hope your holidays are not as all out confusing as ours. This is the norm for us...lolol .
This year is worse.
Julie is the one who usually cooks and make a delicious, chef-inspired meal, but she has a five month old baby now and we Skyped yesterday and she expressed her tension about doing it this year with little help and a baby. I offered to come the day before to watch my lil everything (granddaughter) and Jumper was supposed to come with. She could help move furniture and cook. The moving furniture is because the house is small and requires the entire house's furniture to be moved around. In other years, she didn't mind. This year, with a baby who tires her mommy out, not so much. On top of that, Jumper isn't coming until she drives up the day of Thanksgiving because she has an important basketball game on Thanksgiving Eve night. You read that right. They scheduled a game the night (5:30pm) before Thanksgiving. She is to drive up the next morning. So she can't help. Jumper is only in from college for a few days for Thanksgiving break so we can't go on a weekend and all be there and we want to all be there, if we can.
I am sensitive to all of my adult children (ex doesn't seem to catch on) and my daughter Julie is the type of young woman who likes to please everyone yet she does get very stressed and I could hear it in her voice. I decided to call my ex to see if we could just order a dinner from a higher end grocery store and split the cost so that Julie didn't have to cook this year. He agreed. He also offered his house, which is much bigger than hers. Now in his house he has no big table for all to sit around, but we are a casual bunch and sitting on couches with TV trays is fine with us.
Julie's mother in law is a difficult child, always telling her she isn't doing this or that right and upsetting her. I often want to punch her...lol. She has no idea how to take care of a baby beyond what it was like in the 1960s and the kids, her son included, are doing a great job. The baby is happy as a clam. I guess SHE wants a traditional dinner cooked by my daughter. Nice of her, huh? I thought to myself, "Lady, YOU cook. I'll be watching the baby. My son will be moving the furniture. YOU CAN COOK IF YOU WANT A HOME COOKED MEAL THAT BADLY." Of course she won't and I hear she is a horrible cook. I'm not great shakes either, by the way.
Anyhow, Julie is going to talk it over with her SO and if he agrees, we will be having a cozy, quiet, fun Thanksgiving that Julie did not have to cook. I am crossing my fingers that her SO takes her side. He is reasonable and usually does...but he IS kind of overly attached to his mother, although they fight constantly. Let's just sayl, they do have a relationship, but they are always arguing. But at times he does give into her and my daughter is big on her and SO talking everything over before making decisions.
I sincerely hope the ordered dinner wins this year. It will be a win/win for all. And I still get to love on my precious granddaughter.
I hope your holidays are not as all out confusing as ours. This is the norm for us...lolol .