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Have I missed it? Well if not I suppose I have started one.
Personally I really can't complain. Over the holidays I think I will have only a couple of days held captive, but saying that it will be with people I generally like (or in the worst case, can cope with amicably for a few hours).
I've really enjoyed reading this thread in past years - who have you got turning up to argue with / serve on for? Who will outstay their welcome? Coping strategies? Bring it on
Have pre-empted any arguments about the shortage of Xmas dinner trimmings. At mid-day today a large supermarket had no fresh sausagemeat, fancy stuffings or turkey gravy. Sort yerselves out Sainsbo.
As regards survival I'll be sending the boy out on his bike for a few hours. Simples.
If anyone can point me in the direction of my favourite Christmas survival post, I'd be most grateful. It was the one where either the STWer turned up at M-i-L's and took one look at her through the window and ****ed off without even going into the house, or the other way round. I just want to re-live it. It was gold!
Yes, I remember that! Come on, who's gonna own it??
Aunt Bessie. Sorted.
My mum, the mother in law and sister in law coming over tomorrow...MIL and SIL offered to get food for boxing day to go with left over Turkey...decided yesterday they didnt have enough room in their fridges so decided not to bother, told us this morning!!!
If anyone can point me in the direction of my favourite Christmas survival post, I’d be most grateful. It was the one where either the STWer turned up at M-i-L’s and took one look at her through the window and **** off without even going into the house, or the other way round. I just want to re-live it. It was gold!
I believe the poster had arrived, jumped out the car with their dog who did a pee, which was what sent MiL into orbit 😂
I believe the poster had arrived, jumped out the car with their dog who did a pee, which was what sent MiL into orbit
Ah yes, I’d thought there was a dog involved but couldn’t remember whose it was. But, yeah, I think that was the general thrust of it.
My coping strategy of buggering off to the pub masquerading as a dog walk to escape the house full of In-Laws before Christmas dinner has been thwarted as the pub is only serving customers who prebooked meals!☹️
Does everyone else know that...
Will be shoving Turkey in oven then heading off for a bike ride!!
Ah yes, I’d thought there was a dog involved but couldn’t remember whose it was. But, yeah, I think that was the general thrust of it.
That was me, and yep that’s was the gist of it. We’re on better terms now though.
If anyone can point me in the direction of my favourite Christmas survival post, I’d be most grateful. It was the one where either the STWer turned up at M-i-L’s and took one look at her through the window and **** off without even going into the house, or the other way round. I just want to re-live it. It was gold!
I was also in to mention this.
Belter. Oldschool it still makes me laugh.
My family are great. The only sadness is missing my grandparents who were an integral part and I still miss them terribly at Christmas. But 3 under 5s will go along way to making the whole day amazing.
Does everyone else know that…
Warm coat, gloves, hat, hip flask job done.
PPPPPP.
Christmas Day this year is just me, Zoe, the dog and some peace
Boxing Day was due to be family visiting us, but F-i-L (fine but slightly gammony) has just had a knee replacement and is not recovering as fast as he thought so that's off. Instead we'll drive over there for a short visit and then walk the dog bracingly on the beach at Skegvegas before returning to the haven of home.
just me, my wife and youngest offspring at ours tomorrow. Perfect.
the my son and his tribe and Mil and Fil on boxing day which will again be perfect as we all get on.
whenever my family have joined us at christmas, the dynamic was never nice and i never understood why.
my mother and 2 sister just create arguments from nothing. and when my mother broke some news to me a couple of years ago, something they had been hiding from me for 50 years, i stopped inviting any of them.
our christmas days are now relaxing and peacefull.
I started one yesterday but not comfortable with airing family tensions. It took me two hours to lose my shit with my shitbag nephew. The rest of them turn up today and my fuse is very short. 3 nights to get through when dinner visits has previously been the most and unbearable at that. I feel some home truths coming out.
when my mother broke some news to me a couple of years ago, something they had been hiding from me for 50 years,
Hughie Green is your real dad ?
If anyone can point me in the direction of my favourite Christmas survival post, I’d be most grateful. It was the one where either the STWer turned up at M-i-L’s and took one look at her through the window and **** off without even going into the house, or the other way round. I just want to re-live it. It was gold!
I believe the poster had arrived, jumped out the car with their dog who did a pee, which was what sent MiL into orbit 😂
i dont believe anyones obliged yet so gone searching for it. Here you go
just spent the last half hour chuckling my way through it 😀
As per most years Xmas eve buffet here with the wife, kids,SIL and MIL drinking and watching shit TV. Then tomorrow around to the MIL’s for lunch, drinking, games and shit TV. MIL drives me mad with her talking through any good TV, silence during the shit TV, narrating just what happened on the TV 1 second after it happened and telling me what I can’t eat and drink as we’ve had enough. But as I’m not actually a miserable git I enjoy it, ignore the part about food and drink as I’m fortunate to be off work and with my family.
Got the inlaws for 8 whole days! They are sound but any house guest at this time of year all cooped up together i find hard as i am someone that needs space and quiet time without having to make conversation. Dog walks, gym and a bike ride will help.
Also how hard is it to understand i bought the fluffy white loaf for leftover sarnie making and the sourdough is for morning toast duty not the other way round 🤣
Although the end result is good, I shall be drinking myself into a coma tomorrow while the in-laws portray a moan laden Laurel and Hardy style process of cooking Christmas dinner. I’m going prepared with my own box of booze to ensure I have the required over dose available.
My folks round for dinner Christmas Day - can get tense between wife and mother, but usually civil. The teenagers will just hide.
Missing this year's Boxing Day hill climb and off to a brass band concert in Buxton instead. Then off to the outlaws for a night - both mid 80s, both increasingly frail, but we get on alright
Just me and the parents for Christmas, which will be lovely.
Unfortunately, the younger of the two sisters, her dozy other half, and their two feral brats are arriving for New Year. I plan to be out a lot, either on foot or on a bike. Fortunately, I'm at the ancestral home in the Lakes.
Preempted it by going to a nice hotel in Berlin with my girlfriend. Chugging gluwein in the Christmas market
It will be just me and the dog from about 7pm tonight after I drop the two daughter's that live with me off at their mum's. The truth is, it just makes things go smoothly and that is the unspoken understanding between me and the girls. The parents have been shipped to my brother's. So I will be walking the dog, having breakfast, and out for a ride. Then it will be prep for boxing day and all 3 are back and mine, so that's pressie day and then we are off to the football. I'm feeling rather serene to be fair.
Oldschool’s post.
Nice one! 👍
EDIT: Actually that whole thread brings back memories. More classics than I remember.
Off to the outlaws tomorrow for an early lunch ad my better half has to work an afternoon shift at the hospital.
Taking the dogs with us, I'll drop her off at work then a long post crimbo lunch constitutional to get me out of the house.
We all get on but cooped up in the house with 3 dogs after a big meal may get a bit aromatic!
In laws came on Sunday for Christmas lunch. First time for four years after my fil had a stroke. It was lovely.
All relaxed now as one son is working and there are just the three of us whilst he’s doing shifts.
Got to survive my uncle tomorrow and boxing day, he's a full-on gammony racist who believes almost any conspiracy theory and refuses to see anyone else's point of view. Never lofts a finger to help and eats anything in sight. The good but is he then falls asleep on the sofa for an hour or two! He's currently got it in his head that I must get a new car as mine has done 100k and is now guaranteed to burst into a fiery death at any moment so I'll have a few hours trying to explain that modern cars last longer than that and I have had nothing break on it the whole time I've had it (since new). The fact it's a Skoda really annoys him too!
Is it too late to order some horse tranquillisers?
Grandparents in residence. Daughter I her element and loving it. Been for a 20k ride with the 6 year old on tow and now ‘off to the Co Op’ for some errands which is code for I am off to the pub for a quiet pint (it’s next door to CoOp)
when my mother broke some news to me a couple of years ago, something they had been hiding from me for 50 years,
Hughie Green is your real dad ?
that would be far too simple.
she dropped the bomb that my supposed dad, who i met twice, was not infact my dad.
and she never told me who my real dad was as she feared i would want to meet him.
when she told me a couple of years ago, it was too late. he had died.
hateful selfish woman, who i infact hate now.
but she is my mother, and you cant choose those can you.
I won the bet of SIL taking less than 10mind before wanting wine. MIL currently reeling off a list of who she hasnt had an xmas card from.
Can't believe I'm watching gogglebox... got the MiL here, and it seems to be the only way to stop her interfering in every possible way and constant inane mutterings.
... only 2 more days, then we get a few days with just the 2 of us... bliss
4 generations staying at ours for 4 days!!!!
Both my parents in their 80s, I had to do a 300 mile round trip to fetch them today.
Me and the missis, son and his wife, and our two grandkids aged 7 and 2, plus their two dogs.
Already looks like someone lobbed a grenade in the lounge. Just me and the missis at home normally in a sea of calm and organisation so it's a bit of a shock.
It's hard work, and expensive as we pay for it all, but I'm not gonna moan about still having my mum and dad around as my wife's are both no longer here.
Will be ready for a rest by the time I drive them back home on 27th, and then we are both off until 6th Jan.
I hate Christmas and feel I’m drifting away from my family. Both my grandparents have died and one of my brothers lives in Australia with his fiancé.
They’re massive cheapskates and the food in the house is terrible. I just don’t want to be here, but will just have to put up with it as due to an operation last week can’t go out for a walk at the moment. At least the meal will be decent tomorrow, that’s about the only good thing. Can’t wait to get away already. My parents and brother have hugely enjoyed sitting watching Home Alone, Gremlins and one of the original Star Wars, then served sandwiches for dinner as “got to leave room for meal at 3pm tomorrow”. Shoot me now....... ffs
This time last year our kids had 3 grandparents and we split Christmas Day between my folks and my wife’s Dad. We had done it that way for over 10 years as MIL passed away from MS a long time back, before youngest, now 13, was born.
My Dad died in January, my father in law 2 weeks ago.
It’s not an easy time and we are quite dreading the next day or 2.
Survival is quite a real word in this house !
Sorry for being a bit BahHumbug 😔
Wife neglected to tell me that she'd invited her family to come over any time from 16:30, with the result that we had to eat Christmas dinner in the middle of a ****ing live action Mike Leigh movie.
Escaped my usual family day of moaning, groaning and passive aggressive crap and spent my day with my Nan (she couldn’t make family gathering due to health) so my Christmas dinner was a cheese and beetroot sandwich whilst watching Columbo
Houns ftw!
Did I mention that I also got given a tub of gravy granules as a genuine present by my Mother
Done two night shifts at the local Caring at Christmas project and will be setting off for the third shift in an hour or so, so have spent most of Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day in bed. It's also been the first Christmas in memory when no alcohol has been consumed by me. It does make you realise the importance of how small things can make a big difference - it's great to get thanks and smiles from the guests when you make them a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows at 3.00am!
I saw the post about the gravy granules, hadn't spotted it was you. Tough day.
Philby -good on you.
I did 13/14 years with Crisis, mostly night shifts; truly life affirming.
Being non-judgemental and showing basic common decency means so much to those you support as it's not their daily life experience.
Managed to keep it together in the face of the BiL and his bile today. He's a slippery, manipulative, self righteous, patronising, boring, lazy arsehole and I can't wait til he's gone home. One more night after tonight.
Got away lightly this year, MIL has been round since 1100.
SIL and spawn haven’t graced us with their presence, presumably as she’s dodging falling houses.
Not so much surviving the missus family, they're lovely, my anxiety decided to kick in full force on Monday and has been smashing me to pieces since, ended up calling the Combat Stress helpline today to get some help.
I'm not in a good place and feel terrible for being this way over Christmas. So hard trying to keep smiling on the outside.
Well Xmas Dinner was certainly different, fil decided to have a heart attack* just as we sat down to eat, carried him to sofa popped him into the recovery position as he seemed dazed and confused, whilst mil, wife and daughters in no particular order, phoned 999,ran to the toilet crying, told us "he was just tired" checked his pulse and circulation. As the good old NHS paramedics checked him over, he gradually seemed to recover & pretty much made them wait until he'd sat up and eaten his Xmas dinner before he'd let them ferry him to hospital 😀 family survival at its best I say.
*took 3 x ecg's to confirm that's what had happened
I also got given a tub of gravy granules as a genuine present
My wife got a gravy boat. The two of you would make a great team.
Meanwhile she's probably posting on Mumsnet about how her dreadful husband got her a gravy boat, because she never makes enough gravy
(Note: I'm not actually a sexist pig, I cooked the Xmas dinner including gravy myself)
Christmas has been easier here since we got the dog. Can't get a sitter on Xmas day so we just have to stay at home and visit respective folks later.
We can't be arsed with Xmas, so the wife and I normally go away. This year we're in the Algarve. Went out for 4 hours on the bikes yesterday and then had a supermarket pizza for dinner as we were too tired to want to cook anything else. Watched a film and went to bed. Quality day...