parents' endearing habits and quirks

[Anonymous]

OK, I am very fortunate to have wonderful parents and in-laws. DH and I have just visited with both sets of our parents and we have noticed some of the funny things they do...what funny/endearing things do your parents do?

my dad: wears hats of all sorts for every occasion and just around the house, wears black socks with white tennis shoes, puts on CSPAN and takes a nap every afternoon, claims he "doesn't know how to order" and "no one ever helps him order" when we go to any restaurant that has a type of cuisine he's not familiar with (which is basically any non-American cuisine), going to get the mail is an event to be looked forward to and talked about on a daily basis

my mom: very-and I mean this sincerely, not in a sarcastic way-skilled at hunt and peck typing, has been known to watch an entire movie and then at the end if you ask her how she liked it she'll say "I'm not sure; I couldn't really hear anything they were saying," has to read every word of every single plaque, historical marker and signage of any type that she has ever come across in her life, never knows how to spell anything, including people's names and comes up w/ some very interesting spellings of her own

my MIL: adds extra letters and syllables to a lot of words, almost always calls with her comments after she sees a picture/status that my husband or I or another family member/friend posted on facebook instead of just writing a comment on facebook, if any place we are going is within a 5 mile radius, she will ask sincerely if we are going to walk or drive there and, if left to her own devices, would almost always just set out walking, even if she doesn't know how far a place is

my FIL: writes his entire e-mail in the subject line and then leaves the 'body' of the e-mail blank or just signs his name, will often just get up and leave the room while everyone else is having a conversation because he gets bored/wants to be alone/can't hear that well, he calls in advance of every holiday and my MIL's birthday to remind us to call her

[Anonymous]

They sound funny. Let's see...
my mom: goes to Costco or the grocery store about every day, stays up late watching television thinking my dad is still awake when he went to bed early, obsessed with yard work and dog hair
my dad: doesn't know how to go to the grocery store, doesn't know cars have buttons to open the gas tank lid, spends all his time acting as if he still has a career but he's been retired for a decade, sings the theme song to Cops
FIL: has the same taste in movies as a 5 yo boy, likes balloons
MIL: sorry, can't think of anything endearing

[Anonymous]

My mother refers to the Internets...and "What is the URL?"
She says "Hold the line." on the telephone..

[Anonymous]

I don't really have anything amusing to add, but I love your post, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They sound funny. Let's see...
my mom: goes to Costco or the grocery store about every day, stays up late watching television thinking my dad is still awake when he went to bed early, obsessed with yard work and dog hair
my dad: doesn't know how to go to the grocery store, doesn't know cars have buttons to open the gas tank lid, spends all his time acting as if he still has a career but he's been retired for a decade, sings the theme song to Cops
FIL: has the same taste in movies as a 5 yo boy, likes balloons
MIL: sorry, can't think of anything endearing

OMG they sound so cute.

[Anonymous]

My mom does "the Google" begrudgingly, and refuses to shop online. She's so, so patient with everything else, but hates technology. She still doesn't even like her microwave. She calls Facebook "My Face," which actually seems a pretty apt name.

I have never seen my father not wear socks. We got him a pair of Keen's to wear in the summer, which he wears, but with white socks!

I adore them, but they drive me nuts.

[Anonymous]

My father still think I am 12 even though I am 42. It used to bother me but now I just accept it.

Like bringing me candy when he comes over. Holding my hand when we walk anywhere there is traffic/cars. Stuff like that.

Its sweet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My father still think I am 12 even though I am 42. It used to bother me but now I just accept it.

Like bringing me candy when he comes over. Holding my hand when we walk anywhere there is traffic/cars. Stuff like that.

Its sweet.

Aww, that is sweet!

[Anonymous]

My father: wears a beret. Refers to men as fellows. Swears he's going to retire next year (he's 82).

My mom: Goes on my Amazon WishList and then calls me and runs down each item and asks me if I'm sure I want it. (Okay, this is actually pretty annoying). Keeps her clothes from the 60's because they are coming back in style.

[Anonymous]

My mom only buys drug store glasses instead of taking her butt to the optometrist.

MIL buys DS the most cluttered and gaudiest clothes (of course she still wears them). Sweet and thoughtful but what the heck is wrong with solid color shirt?

FIL gets mad that our visits are short but when we visit he leaves or stays in another room. He just wants us in his vicinity but doesn't want to talk to us .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't really have anything amusing to add, but I love your post, OP!

+1
That was hysterical! They all sound very endearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom only buys drug store glasses instead of taking her butt to the optometrist.

MIL buys DS the most cluttered and gaudiest clothes (of course she still wears them). Sweet and thoughtful but what the heck is wrong with solid color shirt?

FIL gets mad that our visits are short but when we visit he leaves or stays in another room. He just wants us in his vicinity but doesn't want to talk to us .

This is my FIL too!! Gets very emotional when we aren't able to visit often - but then when we do, he sits in front of the TV, turned up loud, and just... sits. Some visit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, I am very fortunate to have wonderful parents and in-laws. DH and I have just visited with both sets of our parents and we have noticed some of the funny things they do...what funny/endearing things do your parents do?

my dad: wears hats of all sorts for every occasion and just around the house, wears black socks with white tennis shoes, puts on CSPAN and takes a nap every afternoon, claims he "doesn't know how to order" and "no one ever helps him order" when we go to any restaurant that has a type of cuisine he's not familiar with (which is basically any non-American cuisine), going to get the mail is an event to be looked forward to and talked about on a daily basis

my mom: very-and I mean this sincerely, not in a sarcastic way-skilled at hunt and peck typing, has been known to watch an entire movie and then at the end if you ask her how she liked it she'll say "I'm not sure; I couldn't really hear anything they were saying," has to read every word of every single plaque, historical marker and signage of any type that she has ever come across in her life, never knows how to spell anything, including people's names and comes up w/ some very interesting spellings of her own

my MIL: adds extra letters and syllables to a lot of words, almost always calls with her comments after she sees a picture/status that my husband or I or another family member/friend posted on facebook instead of just writing a comment on facebook, if any place we are going is within a 5 mile radius, she will ask sincerely if we are going to walk or drive there and, if left to her own devices, would almost always just set out walking, even if she doesn't know how far a place is

my FIL: writes his entire e-mail in the subject line and then leaves the 'body' of the e-mail blank or just signs his name, will often just get up and leave the room while everyone else is having a conversation because he gets bored/wants to be alone/can't hear that well, he calls in advance of every holiday and my MIL's birthday to remind us to call her

haha my dad does this! "don't forget, tomorrow's Easter/Christmas/Mother's Day, etc" he even calls before holidays like memorial day, the 4th of july, labor day because our neighborhood has big picnics on those days and they are family picnics so every year my mom gets sad on those holidays that we-her kids/grandkids-dont live in their neighborhood and go to the picnics with them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom only buys drug store glasses instead of taking her butt to the optometrist.

MIL buys DS the most cluttered and gaudiest clothes (of course she still wears them). Sweet and thoughtful but what the heck is wrong with solid color shirt?

FIL gets mad that our visits are short but when we visit he leaves or stays in another room. He just wants us in his vicinity but doesn't want to talk to us .

This is my FIL too!! Gets very emotional when we aren't able to visit often - but then when we do, he sits in front of the TV, turned up loud, and just... sits. Some visit!

yep, my FIL AND my dad both do that. get very emotional if we aren't able to visit/when we leave but while we are there they seem to be absent/off doing their own thing the majority of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom only buys drug store glasses instead of taking her butt to the optometrist.

MIL buys DS the most cluttered and gaudiest clothes (of course she still wears them). Sweet and thoughtful but what the heck is wrong with solid color shirt?

FIL gets mad that our visits are short but when we visit he leaves or stays in another room. He just wants us in his vicinity but doesn't want to talk to us .

that's a good one