Anyone Dread Family get-togethers over the Holidays

[chloe]

I always volunteer to work

[Mr. P]

Hate em (family get to-gethers)!!! Home with my immediate family is my deal, but I've always lived in a different state anyway so...it made it easier to stay home than if family were in the same town.

[chloe]

Hate em (family get to-gethers)!!! Home with my immediate family is my deal, but I've always lived in a different state anyway so...it made it easier to stay home than if family were in the same town.

I don't like any family get togethers, except for my 2 children.

[SassyLady]

Only if someone gets drunk. The people in our family are not nice drunks ..... I don't mind everyone having a drink or two, but it seems that things go south when someone gets drunk and makes an ass of themselves. The problem is that they don't usually remember how bad they made it and show up next time oblivious.....and everyone else (well, those that remained sober) remembers and isn't looking forward to it happening again.

This year my daughter is having Christmas Eve dinner here at her house and her in-laws will be dropping by off and on all day .... no one can commit to a specific time so that she can have a sit-down dinner and she's a little stressed about that. The problem with living in the same town as the rest of your relatives, and your spouse's relatives is that everyone has to go from house to house to make the obligatory visit. It's a mad house.

When I have Christmas at my house in CA no one is there but us and the kids ... all the other relatives live hundreds of miles away ... so there's no running around all over the place all day trying to get your obligatory visits in. We just play games all day, watch TV, eat, sleep......repeat.

So....I guess I look forward to family get-togethers when they are at my house, but not when I'm visiting Tucson.

[Kathianne]

I'm lucky! I usually have just my immediate family for Christmas Eve, then the kids go to Midnight Mass. They still will go to Midnight services this year, but instead of our 'home' Christmas Eve, we're going over to my brother's for an 'Open House', much like SL's daughter seems to be having. My brother & SIL have been doing that since they were married, both had jobs and activities with large circle of friends, so it's the winter alternative to a bar-b-que in Chicago brrrrrrland.

Christmas day brother, sister-in-law, and all the kids available will be over here. That will be our 'sit down dinner.' My SIL's mom is giving me a turkey today. My daughter and son bought a Honey Baked Ham, I'll make all the 'go withs.' My brother's bringing the shrimp and all the kids are making appetizers. My friend of 30 years, who happens to live next door is with her family in Indiana, so I can use her oven too!

We play games after dinner, it used to be Rummy Royal, but now it's some board game or team game. Last year it was Apples to Apples or something like that. Every year the kids buy some sort of game and they decide which will play. Sometimes just choosing the game is an adventure in persuasion. Christmas is the only time us 'old folks' play with them, but the cousins get together at least 4 times a year with spouses or dates and have 'game nights.'

All the old aunts/uncles are gone, those were the fun holidays with Aunt Helen having 3 Manhattans too many and telling stories we'd heard 100 times before.

Some things change, but the feelings for family have stuck. Like I said, I've been lucky that way.

[darin]

We live a couple thousand miles from family - it's just us. Handy...

[Psychoblues]

I always hate family getogethers. I really love seeing family and even friends around the holidays but big getogethers they always want me to get out the guitar and play and sing for them. I used to love that but I just don't anymore.

SassyLady, if you have problem drinkers in your family insist that they eat when they first get there. Fix them a plate, make them a sandwich, just get some groceries down their throat anyway you can and if they insist on not eating then you insist on them not drinking. Problem drinkers know who they are and even though it may be uncomfortable for you to say something it is for the best results at YOUR house and around YOUR other friends and family that just don't want to witness that crap. That's the best I can tell you on that issue.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, yada yada yada!!!!!!!! Dingaling dingaling.

Psychoblues