Mothering Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Holiday plans?

465 views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  tspencer519 
#1 ·
Anyone else normally travel for holidays but is reveling in the excuse not to this year because of looming due dates?

We live 8 hours from my family and 10 from DH's. It's the in-laws' turn to have us come for Christmas (they are not in a financial or health position to travel to us) and I am SO DELIGHTED to have the excuse not to go. They are not bad people, but they do stress me out (culture clash between my family of origin and theirs--they just do things differently and my MIL, while sweet, drives me crazy), as does the prospect of either an 10-hour winter drive w/2-year-old or expensive, likely complicated flight across the snowy midwest (no direct flights available to their city) to stay in a crowded house.

Instead, DH, DD, and I are going ot have our first ever hunker-down immediate family Christmas. I am so looking forward to doing up Christmas this year--cookies for Santa Claus, picking out a tree, staying up wrapping presents for her, etc...it's the first year she really has any idea what's going on. It'll kind of be a goodbye to us as a family of 3.

What are others planning?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Catwmandu
#2 ·
Well, we actually haven't been home for the holidays in years and years. We live thousands of miles from family and trying to fly in the winter over the holidays is just a nightmare.

We usually host Thanksgiving at our house with friends, then ski into a cabin somewhere for a few days. This year, friends offered to host for us and I think we'll do a cabin still, but one that we can drive to!

For Christmas, we usually do a small dinner with friends who stay in town on Christmas Eve, then just our little family Christmas Day, usually with a hike in the afternoon. So no changes this year for Christmas! Two years ago, we hiked about 4 miles in the snow on a perfectly sunny day. My water broke that night just before midnight and DS arrived about 12 hours later.
:throb
 
#3 ·
I originally planned to visit family for thanksgiving (a 12-hour drive) but as it got closer, I changed my mind.

2 days in the car with my 5-year-old? Nothanks.

That means by default I have to go to my inlaws for Thanksgiving and I wish I could get out of it, but I don't have a compelling reason other than "I just don't wanna."

Bleh.
 
#4 ·
Cwill--that sounds heavenly.

Pamela--I feel you. My family is coming to us for Thanksgiving, and my family is just SO MUCH MORE TOLERABLE! It's mean, but I'm glad my FIL's health problems make it so they have to stay where they are, because the emotional baggage that comes with any in-law interaction is just so unpleasant, good people that they are. I don't know how they produced someone as sane as my DH.
 
#5 ·
My family and in-laws all live at most a half hour away (except for one brother-in-law), so there is really no getting out of things here! lol But at least with being so close we can come and go as we please and don't have to host anyone. On Thanksgiving we are just having lunch with the in-laws and then the Saturday after we do a Thanksgiving lunch and then get a Christmas tree. Ahh traditions!
:)
Not sure about Christmas plans yet other than my brother-in-law will be in town on the 20th for a few days. I'm pretty excited about the holidays this year probably because that means it is so close to baby being here and because I know my DD will be so much more excited this year.
 
#6 ·
I know for Thanksgiving we'll be solo - as we were last year and we are fine with that. Though I grew up always with a big hoopla for Thanksgiving - it's become harder since being mostly vegan and having kids though.

My family is scattered in different states with the exception of a very dear Aunt & Uncle under an hour away.

We'll see for Christmas - the aunt and uncle usually host Thanksgiving and Christmas but family has since moved and the remaining of us don't get along well... so we'll see.

I hear you all on the ILs. Mine are a good 10 years older than my parents and while I tried for the longest time to get along fairly nicely we just don't gel that well. That and I am still not over my stupidity to have my MIL visit at the end of my last pregnancy. I just didn't know to say no and how for someone like me having a stressor around could impact labor beginning, etc.
 
#7 ·
Well. I kind of wanted to go to my family for Thanksgiving but I am just not up for it this year. No one on DH"s side has invited us- so I guess we are on our own- which is just fine :) I talked to SIL last night and told her if she wanted to come out that was fine but she had to bring food lol. I think I will rotisserie a chicken and roast a duck (my kids FAVORITE and I guess I am sucker for them lol) and let SIL bring everything else. I am getting the hint my MIL is kind of irritated with me and since she hasn't called or anything and I am getting ignored I will just let it go on inviting her. I am not in the mood to hear about how "lived in my house looks and whatnot".

When we had DD1 we made the rule that we get to stay home for Christmas. But we are supposed to go to my mom's on the 21st- which we will do probably no matter how I feel. Then that will be it :) I have no idea what we will do for Christmas dinner- I would like to change it up but don't really know what I want to do.... Then generally MIL and SIL come out Christmas night.
 
#8 ·
Well my Thanksgiving plans might be shot this year... :( Unless I can magically recover from this nasty cold by the morning. *Sigh* this cough is just miserable. Hope everyone else can enjoy the holiday! Happy Thanksgiving mamas!!!!
:)
 
#9 ·
Sorry for the sickness, tspencer :( I'm going on week three with congestion, but I was only really sick for the first couple weeks. The hard thing now is waking up because--it's so hard to explain, and I've only experienced while pregnant--even though I can breathe in through my nose, I can't breath out without my throat seizing up and having trouble swallowing? I know it's congestion related, but it's like in the passage from my sinuses to my throat, I think...
 
#10 ·
Happy Thanksgiving, all!

I am 32 weeks today, feeling pretty good in general, and I made 6 dishes from scratch for my DH, DD and the inlaws. DD made the pumpkin pie, and DH made a roasted veggie dish. Everything is vegan so my daughter can partake, but I feel pretty confident that it is delicious enough for everyone to enjoy. My inlaws are providing the turkey, and there will be real butter and meat gravy for folks who prefer it.

DD and I are leaving on our last out of town trip before the baby comes, this Friday- Sunday. We are visiting my sister, her girlfriend, and both of their daughters in a small city three hours from us. I am so excited to have more time in nature, and to be able to spend some quality time with my family.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top