Had the extended family vacation yet this summer? Tell us the worst!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My worst:
A month ago we came to visit my Dad in Coastal NC. One DC was sick and on prednisone (low dose) and ended up mot working and we had to try again with a bigger dose when we got home, which worked. (Other DC had the same issue for the first three weeks of summer "vacation) We spent zero days at the beach as a result. Dad was not up to walking more than his cardio- rehab requirements. When we got back, the dog has a hot spot and was also put on prednisone and had to wear an e-collar for a month. My sister had a mastectomy.

I am back, alone a month later. Dad is in the hospital and I expect about to be transferred to hospice. My sister started her chemo this week, so it will be me for the duration.

I'll take passive aggressive alive and healthy relatives any day.

I'm sorry that your family is going through such difficult times. It's sad and horrible when family gets so seriously ill. Out of curiosity, who is watching your children while you tend to your dad (and possibly sister?). I'm just wondering how people with kids juggle the demands of caring for kids + helping ill older family members. You have a lot on your plate right now. I'm sorry.

[Anonymous]

^Also - you should take the time and have a real vacation where YOU can relax and spend time with your dh and kids. You getting sick will not help anyone. Again, I'm sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My worst:
A month ago we came to visit my Dad in Coastal NC. One DC was sick and on prednisone (low dose) and ended up mot working and we had to try again with a bigger dose when we got home, which worked. (Other DC had the same issue for the first three weeks of summer "vacation) We spent zero days at the beach as a result. Dad was not up to walking more than his cardio- rehab requirements. When we got back, the dog has a hot spot and was also put on prednisone and had to wear an e-collar for a month. My sister had a mastectomy.

I am back, alone a month later. Dad is in the hospital and I expect about to be transferred to hospice. My sister started her chemo this week, so it will be me for the duration.

I'll take passive aggressive alive and healthy relatives any day.

Maybe you could start your own thread instead of killing this one. Your complaints are justified. So are the complaints of others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My worst:
A month ago we came to visit my Dad in Coastal NC. One DC was sick and on prednisone (low dose) and ended up mot working and we had to try again with a bigger dose when we got home, which worked. (Other DC had the same issue for the first three weeks of summer "vacation) We spent zero days at the beach as a result. Dad was not up to walking more than his cardio- rehab requirements. When we got back, the dog has a hot spot and was also put on prednisone and had to wear an e-collar for a month. My sister had a mastectomy.

I am back, alone a month later. Dad is in the hospital and I expect about to be transferred to hospice. My sister started her chemo this week, so it will be me for the duration.

I'll take passive aggressive alive and healthy relatives any day.

Maybe you could start your own thread instead of killing this one. Your complaints are justified. So are the complaints of others.

I understand what you're saying. Taking care of ill family members is no vacation. And this thread is specifically about going on vacation with extended family. Not the same thing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My worst:
A month ago we came to visit my Dad in Coastal NC. One DC was sick and on prednisone (low dose) and ended up mot working and we had to try again with a bigger dose when we got home, which worked. (Other DC had the same issue for the first three weeks of summer "vacation) We spent zero days at the beach as a result. Dad was not up to walking more than his cardio- rehab requirements. When we got back, the dog has a hot spot and was also put on prednisone and had to wear an e-collar for a month. My sister had a mastectomy.

I am back, alone a month later. Dad is in the hospital and I expect about to be transferred to hospice. My sister started her chemo this week, so it will be me for the duration.

I'll take passive aggressive alive and healthy relatives any day.

I'm sorry that your family is going through such difficult times. It's sad and horrible when family gets so seriously ill. Out of curiosity, who is watching your children while you tend to your dad (and possibly sister?). I'm just wondering how people with kids juggle the demands of caring for kids + helping ill older family members. You have a lot on your plate right now. I'm sorry.

My DH dropped eldest at college for his freshman year and his brother went along. Brother is 16. He will fly to visit aunt next week when DH is on a business trip. We are taking one week at a time. It will get problematic when school starts, but we will figure out something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My worst:
A month ago we came to visit my Dad in Coastal NC. One DC was sick and on prednisone (low dose) and ended up mot working and we had to try again with a bigger dose when we got home, which worked. (Other DC had the same issue for the first three weeks of summer "vacation) We spent zero days at the beach as a result. Dad was not up to walking more than his cardio- rehab requirements. When we got back, the dog has a hot spot and was also put on prednisone and had to wear an e-collar for a month. My sister had a mastectomy.

I am back, alone a month later. Dad is in the hospital and I expect about to be transferred to hospice. My sister started her chemo this week, so it will be me for the duration.

I'll take passive aggressive alive and healthy relatives any day.

Maybe you could start your own thread instead of killing this one. Your complaints are justified. So are the complaints of others.

I understand what you're saying. Taking care of ill family members is no vacation. And this thread is specifically about going on vacation with extended family. Not the same thing!

OP asked for our worst stories and for me this is my vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're back and it seemed to go OK, but I'm waiting for the inevitable blowback. Usually MIL/FIL were offended or upset about something that doesn't come out until weeks afterward.

I'm this pp and found out that my ILs just told my BIL and his girlfriend the ways their behavior wasn't respectful enough. We'll see if the criticism comes our way next.

[Anonymous]

Is it Sunday yet? We are at a beach house for the week with my family and I can't wait to leave. My mom and sister are really close and I feel like a third wheel. And now that my sister has her own baby my kids are chopped liver. My 4 yo cried today asking when we could go home. No one (except me and DH) pay any attention to her except to tell her when she's doing something wrong. I can't say anything to anyone because I'm always blamed for starting fights. So I just sit here and read DCUM. Why do I agree to this??

[Anonymous]

We are finishing up Day 1 of a trip out to see DHs extended family out in a Great Plains state with the ILs. Things that are miserable already: minor heat wave (90 F) but the houses have no A/C; wildfires nearby making the entire town hazy and smell like a bonfire and there are air quality warnings for kids and elderly; extended family lives all in the same neighborhood so it's a constant revolving door of 20+ people in and out of the house all day; we are being dragged to a remote national park area for hiking and 'sightseeing' with a 1 and 4 yo that's a 3 hour drive away.

Is it Day 5 yet so we can come home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the only one in my family who is not married.

They systematically isolate and exclude me.

Today my sister admitted to me in an angry way, "yes I exclude you. Because you are a bitch and I don't like to be around you."

My boyfriend just broke up with me. I don't have a place to live.

I have no one.

I feel so alone.

There is a high rise hotel half a mile away. I keep thinking of checking in, asking for a room on the top floor, and jumping off.

[/quote

I am sorry. Life really sucks sometimes. Can you tell me more about what's going on? Why did you and your boyfriend break up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it Sunday yet? We are at a beach house for the week with my family and I can't wait to leave. My mom and sister are really close and I feel like a third wheel. And now that my sister has her own baby my kids are chopped liver. My 4 yo cried today asking when we could go home. No one (except me and DH) pay any attention to her except to tell her when she's doing something wrong. I can't say anything to anyone because I'm always blamed for starting fights. So I just sit here and read DCUM. Why do I agree to this??

Just why on earth are you not going home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We thought we were staying at the family house, when we got there my MIL informed us "oh wait, there isn't room for you here, you have to stay with (crazy raving alcoholic gun toting right wing mess of a man) Uncle Joe" who had a shit shack nearby.
We get to Uncle Joes and he shows us the "guest room". The only thing I could accurately take in was dirty (and I mean poop streak dirty) underwear lying all over the unmade bed.
Garbage was on the floor, it reeked.
I told my DH there was no way on earth we were staying there.
There are no hotels nearby.
We had flown across the country
We ended up going back to the Inlaws who we were furious we were so "uppity" and they begrudgingly allowed us to sleep on couch cushions on the floor of the living room.
For 3 nights
They get up at 530 am and wanted to sit on the couch.

Never. Again.

Please tell me you and DH have made a blood vow never to let yourselves be treated like this again.

[Anonymous]

We hired a babysitter for part of every day this summer. I also decided not to cook dinner ever. Take out, delivery, or restaurants every night. Improved EVERYTHING, including my passive-aggressive father's attitude about children who go to bed before midnight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We thought we were staying at the family house, when we got there my MIL informed us "oh wait, there isn't room for you here, you have to stay with (crazy raving alcoholic gun toting right wing mess of a man) Uncle Joe" who had a shit shack nearby.
We get to Uncle Joes and he shows us the "guest room". The only thing I could accurately take in was dirty (and I mean poop streak dirty) underwear lying all over the unmade bed.
Garbage was on the floor, it reeked.
I told my DH there was no way on earth we were staying there.
There are no hotels nearby.
We had flown across the country
We ended up going back to the Inlaws who we were furious we were so "uppity" and they begrudgingly allowed us to sleep on couch cushions on the floor of the living room.
For 3 nights
They get up at 530 am and wanted to sit on the couch.

Never. Again.

Please tell me you and DH have made a blood vow never to let yourselves be treated like this again.

Oh yes we did! We were very young and I think so bewildered that we just sat there for days, whispering huddled in the bathroom about what to do. Early 20's, no "survival skills" and me trying to make nice with my hopefully future inlaws. We weren't even married yet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are finishing up Day 1 of a trip out to see DHs extended family out in a Great Plains state with the ILs. Things that are miserable already: minor heat wave (90 F) but the houses have no A/C; wildfires nearby making the entire town hazy and smell like a bonfire and there are air quality warnings for kids and elderly; extended family lives all in the same neighborhood so it's a constant revolving door of 20+ people in and out of the house all day; we are being dragged to a remote national park area for hiking and 'sightseeing' with a 1 and 4 yo that's a 3 hour drive away.

Is it Day 5 yet so we can come home?

At least you will be farther away from the fire?!
Trying to see an upside to this 3 hour wilderness trek with a 1 year old
Sounds like hell (get it? Fire and heat? Lol)