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

[Anonymous]

My MIL offered to let us (me, DH, 2 kids) use her beach house so we could spend time as a family. Assured us that she did not intend to visit while we were there- wouldn't dream of cramping our style! Then she showed up out of the blue two days into the trip, kicked DH and I out if her bedroom (it's a 2 bedroom house) and generally proceeded to take over everything. We had planned to stay till Sunday but are leaving tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

What the hell?? Did your DH ask her what's up? That's a bummer. Sorry, OP. Can you afford to try to find a last-minute rental and move in there (doing your own thing, not hanging out with MIL)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ours is almost over.

Nothing terribly awful. Nobody personally offended anyone (that I know of), no one was mean to anyone, and no one's feelings were hurt (either legitimately or as an over-reaction).

But thankfully our extended family trip is over and we go home tomorrow. I am not cut out for sharing a bathroom with our teen and tween nephews, doing lord knows what in there for ridiculous amounts of time, water everywhere, crumbs and food everyone, BEING SO LOUD ALL THE TIME. The greasy, fattening food, the hanging out the pool (which I will never understand the appeal of). The stark wakeup of how different we really are in our little habits and annoyances. I'm related to these filthy people making some objectionable comments? Could be worse, but who are these people?!

We still love everyone and will happily hang out again. But tomorrow, we go home to our own, clean, quiet, homes, bathrooms, and have it confirmed why we don't want kids. Love having nieces/nephews, but sharing a vacation home is too much. I want quiet, and no puddles of water everywhere, and not have to wait 45 minutes to brush my teeth because teenage nephew is doing things in the bathroom that I don't want to ever, ever know about.

Ugh. I have teen and tween boys. I can't imagine having to share a bathroom with them! I love them...and they know how to clean their own bathroom. But to share one with them? Ugh. No. I'm glad you survived!

[Anonymous]

Speaking of venting a man/husband/father here, we go with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law's family to the beach. We usually have a great time and I get along well with my in laws. MY Mom (who lives 1,500 miles away) on the other hand is extremely jealous of my MIL because she (my MIL) lives close by and sees our kids a lot and goes on these family vacations with us.

We invited them to the beach this year before going wit my in-laws again and they declined and in their typical fashion suggested things like "just come to Texas and stay with us. We can go hiking".

Now we are talking about going to Disney World next year so I mentioned that to my mom and invited her and my step father (they married after I was an adult). My step father said he doesn't like Disney so he doesn't want to go. My mother the. Said she doesn't want to go. This really pisses me off because I know she does but she doesn't want to go without her husband or convince him to go (apparently he refuses to enter the state of Florida because of their football team). Now my mom is sending me emails talking about how hot and humid the weather is and that we should not go. In my mind she has no right to be jealous but she is. My wife actually talks to my mom more than I do at this point because I hate talking to her as everything is about her/them or begging me to find a job in where they're at and move there with the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, would anyone like to hear how awful my brother's ex-girlfriend is? They broke up two years ago, but ask my mom: there is still plenty to criticize.

We can also talk about how their neighbors' house is too cluttered (not hoarder-y, just a lifetime full of stuff).

Lots of their other acquaintances (or their acquaintances' children, coworkers, or pets) are doing things wrong, too.

I am like some sort of scale model for optimism next to these people, and I am basically Eeyore.

Well, we are pushing our child too hard. (He attends pre-school. Maybe "sprinkler fun day" is pressuring him to over-achieve.)

Also, I am a snob because I don't eat meat and chose to bring a book to read on vacation.

Oh, and when they say you need to be out of the beach house by 10:00 am on Saturday, that only applies to other people.



Happy to be at work this week (although I am a bad mother and am neglecting my child by working).

Ha! I feel your pain.
I gave my child a horrid name (John, I kid you not, his name is John and that was a problem)
We have "just too many rules" (like feeding every few hours and doing naps, Horrid name John is a newborn)
And I wouldn't let them hold the baby enough (do you know any newborns that want to inhale Jean Nate' for hours on end? Or that want to be pulled off their moms boob mid nursing to be held?)

This was during our first trip to see the inlaws with the baby.

[Anonymous]

SIL's family arrives after a 9 hour drive to the beach house. During the drive she decides to search the Ashley Madison hack info for her DH. Surprise - there he is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SIL's family arrives after a 9 hour drive to the beach house. During the drive she decides to search the Ashley Madison hack info for her DH. Surprise - there he is.

Nooooo!!!!! I'm sure that was quite the weekend. Ha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of venting a man/husband/father here, we go with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law's family to the beach. We usually have a great time and I get along well with my in laws. MY Mom (who lives 1,500 miles away) on the other hand is extremely jealous of my MIL because she (my MIL) lives close by and sees our kids a lot and goes on these family vacations with us.

We invited them to the beach this year before going wit my in-laws again and they declined and in their typical fashion suggested things like "just come to Texas and stay with us. We can go hiking".

Now we are talking about going to Disney World next year so I mentioned that to my mom and invited her and my step father (they married after I was an adult). My step father said he doesn't like Disney so he doesn't want to go. My mother the. Said she doesn't want to go. This really pisses me off because I know she does but she doesn't want to go without her husband or convince him to go (apparently he refuses to enter the state of Florida because of their football team). Now my mom is sending me emails talking about how hot and humid the weather is and that we should not go. In my mind she has no right to be jealous but she is. My wife actually talks to my mom more than I do at this point because I hate talking to her as everything is about her/them or begging me to find a job in where they're at and move there with the kids.

Oh lordy, my FIL declines or forgets every invite, rarely invites us anywhere, yet complains that my parents see the grandchild all the time. People are nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SIL's family arrives after a 9 hour drive to the beach house. During the drive she decides to search the Ashley Madison hack info for her DH. Surprise - there he is.

No way! Is that your spouse's sister or your sibling's wife?
How did that all play out?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SIL's family arrives after a 9 hour drive to the beach house. During the drive she decides to search the Ashley Madison hack info for her DH. Surprise - there he is.

No way! Is that your spouse's sister or your sibling's wife?
How did that all play out?!

We will see if he is around at Christmas.