Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Petty vent. For 20 plus years SIL tries to one up us and any interest we or the kids have suddenly become her interests so she can compete. Last night we announced an important change we are making that requires a financial investment that we’ve been talking about for 20 years. It’s very specific. SIL’s response - OH. DH and I are going to do that too, just bigger and better. Then she spent the rest of the conversation talking about herself. All from a woman who has never worked a day in 20 years. Whatever.

I’m still trying to imagine making a big announcement to my family about a financial investment at Christmas.

I’m guessing op is just talking about buying a vacation home or selling some property and doesn’t want to be specific.

Anonymous wrote:Petty vent. For 20 plus years SIL tries to one up us and any interest we or the kids have suddenly become her interests so she can compete. Last night we announced an important change we are making that requires a financial investment that we’ve been talking about for 20 years. It’s very specific. SIL’s response - OH. DH and I are going to do that too, just bigger and better. Then she spent the rest of the conversation talking about herself. All from a woman who has never worked a day in 20 years. Whatever.

I’m still trying to imagine making a big announcement to my family about a financial investment at Christmas.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My in laws insist every year on using 40 year old stretched out and threadbare Star Wars and Sesame Street sheets on the 24” tall air mattresses they bought for our kids and they always end up all bunched up by morning. We’ve tried buying them new sheets before we arrive and they always return them before we arrive. Last year we bought and pre-washed two sets of new sheets made for deep mattresses and brought them with us in a checked bag. We made the beds ourselves before my father in law had a chance to do it himself so they had to keep the sheets.

This year? The beds were pre-made with the Star Wars and Sesame Street sheets and the new sheets are nowhere to be found. WTAF???

Maybe the sheets need to “accidentally rip” due to their old age.

No, the crummy 40 year old ones need to accidentally go home in OP’s luggage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids love my mac and cheese so I made it for Christmas Eve. I accidentally made it with ground ginger instead of ground mustard.

It was not good.

My DH made cinnamon rolls last night and confused the California dried garlic powder with the cinnamon. Sugary garlic rolls for breakfast, anyone?

I was really feeling for the pp with the gingery Mac and cheese, but I audibly gasped when I read about the “cinnamon” rolls. So disappointing, and especially after going to the effort of making homemade rolls.

Anonymous wrote:PSA: gift bags are part of the gift. It’s super rude to ask for them back and to sort gift bags according to giver at the end of gift opening so that you can take home the bags you brought gifts in.

You can pry the gift bag you gave me out of my cold, dead hands. Nope, not giving it back!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Invited my sons three living grandparents to Christmas and his birthday (days apart) and they all declined. I’ve spent the last week getting “wish we were there!” and “send pics!” texts. I have suppressed my desire to send petty responses.

I’m sorry you’re hurt, OP. I don’t think the grandparents are doing anything wrong here, but I can see why they’re wording stings. It’s not obnoxious, though.

Disagree. If they wish they were there then why didn’t they come?? They were invited!

They’re just being polite. Carry on.

My FIL is exactly like UNcle Colm from Derry Girls but without the accent. Just drones on and on about something that no one is remotely interested in. Did it today about paint colors that people have in their houses and colors that he has chosen, in his various homes, for various reasons, over the years . “Then we switched to Benjamin Moore Light Grey…. Or was it Everyday Grey? Actually come to think of it…. There wasn’t a Benjamin Moore paint supplier near us in that house. It’s possible it was a shade from Behr. They have many shades of grey as well that all seem quite similar at first glance”

I am not making this up, to the point where as I hit send I’m worried he is going to somehow stumble upon this website and recognize himself

PSA: gift bags are part of the gift. It’s super rude to ask for them back and to sort gift bags according to giver at the end of gift opening so that you can take home the bags you brought gifts in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Invited my sons three living grandparents to Christmas and his birthday (days apart) and they all declined. I’ve spent the last week getting “wish we were there!” and “send pics!” texts. I have suppressed my desire to send petty responses.

I’m sorry you’re hurt, OP. I don’t think the grandparents are doing anything wrong here, but I can see why they’re wording stings. It’s not obnoxious, though.

Disagree. If they wish they were there then why didn’t they come?? They were invited!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made Xmas breakfast for the family, and a full Xmas dinner.
Not a thank you from dh.
Not a “yum, that was good”
Not an offer to clean a plate or wipe a table.
I’m not saying I need a medal, but I feel like the help.
Hell, a paid chef would’ve probably gotten a thank you and compliments.
It makes me feel very sad to feel so unseen and unappreciated by my spouse.

My response to this would somewhat differ depending on whether you're SAHM or not. If you both work, his lack of appreciation and offer to help is appalling. If not, he should certainly extend appreciation but there might be an issue of expectations there (ie all domestic chores your domain) and you should simply use your words and ask for help with an out-of-the-ordinary burden he took for granted.

Yea, we both work.
And I make more money.

My ILs are perfectly capable of driving. They are able-bodied, they have GPS, and they go on multiple road trips just for fun a year—miraculous how they can get where they are going when they want to.

They always whine when they’re here about how we have an SUV that fits us four, and not a van. They try to act like six adults and two kids with car seats can somehow miraculously cram in together so we can all drive together. Um, no.

Even DH is over it. He finally told them, “Enough already. If you want to rent a van when you come see that, do so. Otherwise, plan on driving places separate.”

Anonymous wrote:I got presents for my step brother’s wife and her nieces and nephews and no one got anything for my young son.

Unnecessary gifting. Kids get enough crap. Just stop. Really.

My parents keep their house so F#%%cking cold!!!!!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ILs have been here since Thursday. They are “sit and stare and chat or it’s rude” people.

I’m in the middle of cleaning up and getting some laundry going. MIL tells me, “You’ve been going too fast today, Jessica; sit down and chat.” And I just flat out said “no” and went down to the laundry room.

Not my best moment, but don’t order me around in my own house. Are you really that blind to how much work I’ve had to put into cooking, cleaning, decorating, wrapping and generally making all of this a holiday and all you had to do is roll up and eat and sip coffee?

Uggggg this sounds like my ILs except my mil will talk at me and I’ll just back away / keep doing what I’m doing or just leave. I don’t know if she thinks it’s rude she usually just finds someone else to talk at. They probably think I’m a rude grinch bc I was snappy all Xmas eve but I was working like a DOG all day. And at dinner she made multiple comments on how she’s so glad she doesn’t have to host anything anymore. Is mid 60s the age where everything is handed over or is this a boomer thing? They just want to come and act like their in a restaurant while I’m doing hard labor and running after a 3 and 6 year old.

Sounds exactly like my MIL except she decided that she was done by her 50s, basically when her son got married. Seems like it might be a boomer thing.

I got presents for my step brother’s wife and her nieces and nephews and no one got anything for my young son.