tell me what's odd about where you're staying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my own home, 6 days post c-section, and my mother is here to help.

I just found out that she has been giving my 2 year old sips of her coffee.

She smokes, and I asked her to change her shirt before holding the baby. She came inside and was holding the baby within 5 minutes, without changing her shirt, so I reminded her and she said sorry, that she "forgot".

She has made one meal since arriving over a week ago, which we are very appreciative of. The way she brags about it to everyone she talks to on the phone, you would think she had climbed Mt. Everest.

I was in the early stages of labor, having regular and painful contractions, but had to clean the toilet she uses before going to the hospital. I knew we would be having other visitors, and she had left shit stains all over the toilet seat that were getting bigger by the day, so I wanted to get it cleaned. I'm sure it's a wreck again, I'm going to ask her to clean it later.

She sits on our patio smoking and talking on the phone. All phone calls must be made over speaker phone at its highest volume. I can hear every detail of her phone calls from my bedroom, where I have spent most of my recovery. We are in a row house so our backyard space is adjacent to many other backyards. I'm sure my neighbors are wondering what the fuck is up with the loud phone calls about lasagna. My husband wasn't happy that she was out there discussing his job and security clearance. Sometimes she makes phone calls from her suite in the basement level, where of course the reception sucks. So it's a loud, incessant conversation of "HUH? I CAN'T HEAR YOU" but she doesn't do anything to solve the issue, like ending the phone call or going upstairs.

She sleeps late for someone who is here to help, then acts surprised to find out that DH has already taken our toddler to a playground to burn off some energy (when said toddler has already been up for hours).

Twice, she has asked my husband to carry out her bathroom trash, which is probably full of Depends. I don't think he would have minded if she didn't then immediately go upstairs, and outside (you know, where the trash cans are) to smoke a cigarette.

You are funny pp. she sounds exactly like my mom except she doesn't smoke but will eat all day long and feed my kids donuts all day long. Congrats on the baby!

[Anonymous]

I go to MIL's and her housekeeper keeps everything clean, fridge is stocked with things we like and she is very concerned that the temps are what we like and we all have enough fluffy towels.

[Anonymous]

My il's house is a lovely, sprawling, turn of the ( 20th) century manor.
The downside is that DH and his parents insist on putting the baby in the other wing, away from us.
I can hear baby on the monitor, but it still keeps me up all night. It makes me nervous that in the event of an emergency, I am doubtful we could get to her in time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My il's house is a lovely, sprawling, turn of the ( 20th) century manor.
The downside is that DH and his parents insist on putting the baby in the other wing, away from us.
I can hear baby on the monitor, but it still keeps me up all night. It makes me nervous that in the event of an emergency, I am doubtful we could get to her in time.

What? Insist that the baby sleep closer to you. You're a mother now. Stand up for yourself and your baby. Say what you want. If not now, when?

[Anonymous]

Didn't go this year but when I visit my FIL and evil step mil, my DH and I throw away tons of expired food. In the fridge, freezer and pantry.

My non-evil MIL, on the other hand, keeps no food in the house and the temp on 60. I wear a ton of clothes which she thinks is the funniest thing ever. When does menopause end?

[Anonymous]

my in-laws can't throw anything away. The whole time we are visiting, I will find things that I put in the trash can back out on the counter top/on the shelves/in cabinets, etc. Things such as a sippy cup that has a faulty spout and leaks everywhere. I've tried to throw that thing away like 5 times--and after the 3rd or so time, I actually told my in-laws that it leaks and we won't use it anymore so that they would let it go but they insist on continuing to rescue it from the trash can anyway. Other examples of things they've taken out of the trash after I threw them away: a rotten banana (which MIL put in freezer to save and make banana bread later), a ziploc bag with the remnants of a smashed peanut butter and jelly sandwich in it (I know now that they like to wash and save/re-use all ziploc bags), a glass ornament that was broken into about a million pieces (we found it broken when we opened the box of ornaments to decorate the tree and in the presence of both my in-laws, I asked them if I should throw it away or if they wanted to try and fix it. They said I could throw it away so I guess they changed their mind later or just didn't have the heart to tell me that they couldn't part with it), some aspirin my husband found in their medicine cabinet that expired in 1988, an old toothbrush that my husband threw out after he bought himself a new one (my FIL said he would use the old toothbrush for 'cleaning stuff in the garage').

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow... i'm speechless reading through 8 pages in this thread. I probably would become a mass murderer by the end of 3rd day if I were to stay in any of these houses!

Is this a common normal American family??

No, darling. Like every DCUM thread, only the people with something to tell pipe up on the thread. The normals don't have anything to contribute. Nobody wants to hear of when I go to MIL's and her housekeeper keeps everything clean, fridge is stocked with things we like and she is very concerned that the temps are what we like and we all have enough fluffy towels...

Yeah, those people are having fun with their families and making great memories...
while my DH and and I figured out my FIL's frig was going bad, and his backup frig had gone bad, and spent a day throwing out really old stinky gross food. He mostly just drinks Ensure, but now we know why he kept on having "stomach problems."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow... i'm speechless reading through 8 pages in this thread. I probably would become a mass murderer by the end of 3rd day if I were to stay in any of these houses!

Is this a common normal American family??

No, darling. Like every DCUM thread, only the people with something to tell pipe up on the thread. The normals don't have anything to contribute. Nobody wants to hear of when I go to MIL's and her housekeeper keeps everything clean, fridge is stocked with things we like and she is very concerned that the temps are what we like and we all have enough fluffy towels...

Yes, I stayed at my brother.'s and had my own suite, plenty of good, and the temp was fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow... i'm speechless reading through 8 pages in this thread. I probably would become a mass murderer by the end of 3rd day if I were to stay in any of these houses!

Is this a common normal American family??

No, darling. Like every DCUM thread, only the people with something to tell pipe up on the thread. The normals don't have anything to contribute. Nobody wants to hear of when I go to MIL's and her housekeeper keeps everything clean, fridge is stocked with things we like and she is very concerned that the temps are what we like and we all have enough fluffy towels...

Yeah, those people are having fun with their families and making great memories...
while my DH and and I figured out my FIL's frig was going bad, and his backup frig had gone bad, and spent a day throwing out really old stinky gross food. He mostly just drinks Ensure, but now we know why he kept on having "stomach problems."

Oh, I think many of these funnyy stories (which I know are not always funny at the time) are what make family memories actually memorable! My sibs and I have a grand time reimiscing when we get together of all the wacky stuff our parents did (it drives my mother up a wall- I think she doesn't realize we are bonding as we remember the mystery meat she always served on Fridays ...).

[Anonymous]

The only source of light in the bedroom we are staying in is one bedside lamp.

[Anonymous]

Keep 'me coming, people! No detail is too small! I'm really enjoying these.

[Anonymous]

My in laws insist on the squeegee for the shower walls after every shower. I did it the first time I ever stayed there, 25 years ago when I was 19. I never did it again. I have four kids to watch and don't have time for that shit. Last year she actually mentioned it and I told her I stopped doing it over 20 years ago.
She's a crazy bitch but I do have a new fabulous gay brother in law (husband of dh's brother) who I now can bitch about her with. It's so great cause I used to be on my own with no one to vent to.

[Anonymous]

Step MIL lives alone in a mansion and lets her son (not my DH) and his family spread out across 3 rooms (husband and wife in one, baby and toddler each in their own) all with nice beds, even though their kids are in pack and plays that she borrowed next to each bed. Meanwhile my family of three is in a hallway, with my DH and I on a leaking air mattress and our 6 year old in sleeping bag on the bare floor next to it.

Oh, and the floors were just refinished so we had to open all the windows so we don't die of asphyxiation, even though we still might since our heads are just 12 inches from the floor, scratch that, 11 inches, 10, 9... Time to pump up the mattress again. It's going to be a long night.

[Anonymous]

I'm currently in a room at the ER with an adjoining bathroom for everyone to use (my room has a locked door that connects to it). We can hear everyone's bathroom useage loud and clear.

Surprisingly, everyone is actually washing their hands.

[Anonymous]

Thanksgiving we stayed at my MIL's house. While it's a large house, there are only three bedrooms for four adults and three children. My SIL and her kids get two bedrooms (understandably). My 19 MO got a pack in play in an attic closet (unfinished room but temp controlled). His PNP was surrounded by dusty filing cabinets, old dining chairs, fans, etc. I'd like to say I'm never going back.