Am I Being Unreasonable? Annoyed with MIL

[Anonymous]

I have two children - a 2 year old and a 6 month old. For our 2 year old's first Christmas, we had a baby's first ornament made with his name on it and a photo ornament with his first picture with Santa. For our 6 month old, we are doing the same thing - just haven't gotten the photo ornament made yet.

So my MIL emails me pictures of 5 ornaments she's had made. One for each of my children's Christmases. They have the year, their name, and a picture. My MIL is not crafty or detail-oriented. The pictures she chose to use are not the best and she cropped them awfully. Half of my son's face is missing in one of them. She had a set made for us and for her.

I'm annoyed. Here's why:

1) We already have ornaments for our children's first Christmases.
2) Our tree is packed with ornaments that are special to us and that we find aesthetically pleasing. Now I have to find space for 5 more with crappy photos of my kids?
3) I would have done a much better job making the ornaments myself. I'm the mom - I have tons of pictures that would have worked better than the ones she chose! And she's not good at projects like this.
4) Now what do we get the grandparents for Christmas? My plan was to make some cute photo gifts for the grandparents. But now the grandmother is making photo gifts for me? Isn't that backwards???

So am I being unreasonable? Would you be annoyed? And how do I get her to stop doing this so I don't get an ugly new ornament every year?

[Anonymous]

You don't have to hang them. Misplace them. She'll get the idea.

[Anonymous]

This is just not that big of a deal. Don't hang them. Or hang them on the back of the tree. Or only hang them when they come over. Move on.

[Anonymous]

Oh my gosh. You get annoyed very easily.

[Anonymous]

Just accept it. Hang it in front when she comes over. Lose it when Christmas is over. Make noisecabout having a full tree after Christmas.

[Anonymous]

yes, you're being kind of a jerk, OP. Sorry. However, I have always had a hodge podge tree covered in lots of different ornaments...some gorgeous and precise, some homemade and ridiculous. When your little ones start bringing home ornaments they make are you going to jettison them because you would have done a better job? Of course not. You're looking for a reason to be annoyed at your MIL for a flimsy ass reason. Be better than that. I think her idea to make the ornaments was lovely and thoughtful and you should be gracious. Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Way to get into the Christmas spirit, OP. Petty, petty, petty.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are being unreasonable. That's what the back of the tree is for. Duhhh.

[Anonymous]

OH Lord. Let it go. You should really get some therapy for your controlling ways, it will benefit your family.

Do you have an anxiety disorder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two children - a 2 year old and a 6 month old. For our 2 year old's first Christmas, we had a baby's first ornament made with his name on it and a photo ornament with his first picture with Santa. For our 6 month old, we are doing the same thing - just haven't gotten the photo ornament made yet.

So my MIL emails me pictures of 5 ornaments she's had made. One for each of my children's Christmases. They have the year, their name, and a picture. My MIL is not crafty or detail-oriented. The pictures she chose to use are not the best and she cropped them awfully. Half of my son's face is missing in one of them. She had a set made for us and for her.

I'm annoyed. Here's why:

1) We already have ornaments for our children's first Christmases.
2) Our tree is packed with ornaments that are special to us and that we find aesthetically pleasing. Now I have to find space for 5 more with crappy photos of my kids?
3) I would have done a much better job making the ornaments myself. I'm the mom - I have tons of pictures that would have worked better than the ones she chose! And she's not good at projects like this.
4) Now what do we get the grandparents for Christmas? My plan was to make some cute photo gifts for the grandparents. But now the grandmother is making photo gifts for me? Isn't that backwards???

So am I being unreasonable? Would you be annoyed? And how do I get her to stop doing this so I don't get an ugly new ornament every year?

Yes, you are unreasonable. You need to get the Christmas spirit, accept gifts like this graciously, and stop being such a nasty thinker. It's really toxic.

[Anonymous]

Hang one of each kid towards the back of the tree. Put the rest in storage. Tell her you love the idea and in fact have been doing this yourself over the past few years, and it's part of the parent holiday tradition at your house and you always look forward to doing it. (Hint, hint.) Get her photo gifts anyway.

She did something nice, but it sounds like a misfire. Does she bug you in other ways, OP, so that this is more annoying than it might be?

[Anonymous]

Wow, you may want to work on being a little more grateful. Are you going to be annoyed if she sends your gifts in wrapping paper that doesn't match your aesthetically pleasing and coordinating paper?

Buy a little tree that can be for the kids and they can decorate with thoughtless, tacky, ugh ornaments from their grandparents. Wait until they start making them at school, you are going to have a hissy fit.

[Anonymous]

I would not keep them. You can still do the ones you made for your older child and just say you wanted her to have one that matches.

[Anonymous]

Just say thank you and toss them. If she mentions them next year just say you don't know where they are and to ask DH.

I would continue to make your own. Give her whatever you want- I would give her the xmas tree ornaments anyways. Or make her a photo mug or calendar. I doubt she really wants two xmas tree ornaments for the next 18 yrs.

[Anonymous]

Oh, good. Another "my MIL cares too much about my family and I'm a control freak" post. Put them on the back of the tree. Who cares? Honestly.