*How was your day?....and...I'm still alive...*

[Suz]

.....and without any symptoms of food poisoning...yet...knock on wood... :rofl:

I was proud of Rob yesterday. His girlfriend was gone when I got there and didn't appear until dinner :hammer:. Rob made the turkey and veggies, I helped with the other stuff. Friends (yes, FRIENDS!!! :grin:) of theirs also came for dinner as did girlfriend's Mom. Rob was a great host. He made sure that people had drinks to go with meals and that everyone had enough to eat.

He was nervous...pacing...until dinner but then settled down and relaxed. It was nice to work side by side with him but allow him to be in charge. I have some concerns about his drinking- he had 3 mixed drinks in 2 hours with no intent to slow down and I'm pretty sure that's not uncommon---but I kept my mouth SHUT :warrior:.

It was cold and rainy and drizzly so I left early for my long drive home. Overall, it was a very nice time. :bravo:

How was your day???

Suz

 

[busywend]

Suz, glad you had a nice day at difficult children house. Could it be the drinking was just to help him relax? I did a shot yesterday - probably been 10 years since the last one! - just to keep the calmness going. Must have been really nice to work side by side with him in his kitchen.

very cool!

 

[Suz]

Wendy, yes, I'm sure the drinks were an effort to help him relax yesterday but from his conversation it's a big part of his life, too. (and his latest court problems are DUI and fleeing the scene that same night) Some of the stories he shared and his friends shared about him all revolved around drinking. I know that part of this is typical and age-related. It takes all I can muster to not remind him at every turn that one of the reasons he was in the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for a year was because of substance abuse issues...and he went to AA meetings for 2 years. sigh.

How as your day?


Suz

 

[Kathy813]

Mine was not great. difficult child was a total PITA. She didn't like much of anything that I had gotten her and let me know it. I posted about this in General in a response to Nomad.

easy child pretty much holed up in her room all day watching One Tree Hill videos and then went to visit a friend.

We ate dinner together and then difficult child took a long nap and then went home.

I think that drinking is becoming a big issue with difficult child, too. She mentioned that someone one had given her a stocking full of small airline bottles of liquor. She thought it was the greatest present. She also kept asking for a glass of wine. We were not drinking, just had the bottle left over from making mulled wine for a party. We told her that she had substance abuse issues and we weren't contributing to that. That made her mad.

All in all, not one of our best holidays. I'm already thinking that husband and I may go away for Christmas next year. I've always wanted to see Willimasburg at Christmastime. We'll invite them to come if they want but the trip will be the presents. I am done with spending my time and energy buying things for them that they don't appreciate. easy child didn't vocalize any dissapointment but I could tell she wasn't all that impressed, either. If they want to come with us and be a family, fine, if not they can find somewhere else to go. I will not have a repeat of this year.

The sad part is that I ended up doing the very same thing that I swore I would not do anymore ~ showered them with presents while husband and I each got one thing. Why can't I break the cycle?

Suz ~ I'm glad you survived your dinner.

~Kathy

 

[Suz]

I'm sorry, Kathy. I read your other post, too. Your day really did stink. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/919Mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/11-24h.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/919Mad.gif

Hugs,
Suz

 

[DDD]

How was our day??? Well, the beginning part of it was NOT
pretty. For the lst time ever easy child/difficult child displayed GFGness to
start the day. He is always the one who distributes the gifts (we take turns opening) but yesterday he wanted us all :shocked:
to wait until he was "good and ready" to get out of bed to
start. Got chapped off when I told him to let his little sister go...he wanted her to stay in his room and SHE wanted
to be where the presents were. Sigh! Finally with our
Christmas music going, everyone "in their place" LOL for
opening...easy child/difficult child handed his sister one present and then said
"I don't have to do this." Ho! Ho! :frown: SO...I said "of course
your don't" and said to his little bro "difficult child you've never
been in charge of presents before would you like to take
over in a MERRY Christmas way???" difficult child almost hollered "Sure
Mama...I can do it!" :smile: We had a changing of the Guard at the
base of the tree...that lasted for two presents before the
Alpha male politely came back to the tree and asked his bro
to go sit in his regular place and let HIM do HIS job." :grin:

Then........from that point on until around 3:30 when the
Call of the Wild sucked easy child/difficult child into his other world again,
we had a lovely and pretty darn Merry Christmas.

and I'm still alive, too. DDD :grin:

 

[Suz]

:bravo: :warrior: :bravo:

You are so dang clever, D3. I love how you outsmarted Mr. Bigbritches and gave little brother the chance to be the real MAN of the morning.

So glad Mr. Bigbritches came back to earth for awhile so you had some good family time.

You go, girl!

Suz

 

[KFld]

We actually had a great xmas. I think it was the best one I've had in years. difficult child was really good on xmas eve. Came with the family and never complained once about leaving early or being bored. easy child daughters boyfriend came with us and they actually drove difficult child to my sister in law's. difficult child and easy child's boyfriend met for the first time and actually got along. difficult child slept here xmas eve and stayed all day yesterday until about 5:30 when easy child daughter dropped him off at wingnuts.
It was a very relaxing, enjoyable peaceful xmas.
After easy child daughter dropped him off at wingnuts she came home to tell me she went in to see the baby. She said she is adorable and she thinks she looks like her brother. I told him he needs to get this test done because I want to know so I can see her before she's 6 months old. I just can't bring myself to see her until I know for sure.
She said wingnut looks good and her apartment is clean and the baby looks very well taken care of. She told her she could come back anytime to see the baby. Maybe this will change her. I just told easy child to be careful because wingnut can be very charming and sucks you in very easy, only to spit you back out when things don't go her way.

 

[Sue C]

My day? Well, Christmas Eve husband, Melissa & I and my sister's family were at my Mom's house. Melissa was GREAT. She was in a good mood and very gracious about her gifts. My sister's 23-yr-old difficult child occasionally used the "F" word in front of my mother, and she was loud and obnoxious--says what she wants to. My sisters 2 daughters and 1 son (ages 22 through 25) were not gracious about their gifts, and I am HOPING my mom did not hear their comments. My sister's two daughters, the difficult child and the easy child/know-it-all had an altercation in which one got punched in the face. Thank goodness it was minutes before we were leaving. I'd seen enough.

Christmas Day Angela & her husband came over here, and we had a nice time. It started out a teensy rocky when she acted all hurt that because I wouldn't cook anything vegetarian for her and she had to bring her own salmon and make it. She went on to say how her father-in-law always makes the most delicious vegetarian main dish JUST FOR HER when she eats there. Well, whoopee is what I say.

The worst part of my Christmas? My uncle called and SCREAMED and SWORE at my husband on the phone. He wanted to talk to me and my wonderful husband would not let him. It's a long story, but the short story is my dad and uncle (his half brother) had a falling out many years ago and my dad's dying wishes were to not tell him he died. We fulfilled his wishes. Well, it's been 2-1/2 years since my dad died. One day I mentioned something about my uncle to my mom, and she said she was sure someone must have told him by now that my dad died. So, in my Christmas card to my uncle I wrote, "My dad has been gone 2-1/2 years now, and we still miss him very much. Mom is doing great. Angela is blah blah blah. Melissa is blah blah blah." Well, guess what??????!!!!! He did NOT know his brother had died!!! He called and screamed at my husband that someone should have told him. Yet he never tried to contact him in many many years, even though I had told him in my Christmas card several years ago that my dad was very very sick. And if I hadn't said anything in my card, he still would not have tried calling my dad. I am praying he does not call and yell at my mom.

The best part of my Christmas? At our church's Christmas Eve service, we each hold a lit candle at the end of the service. The lights are dimmed and we sing "Silent Night." I always get teary eyed during the song. Melissa gently put her arm around me for just a few seconds, but it was a special moment I'll cherish forever.

Sue

 

[Suz]

WOW Karen, sounds like a wonderful Christmas for you and your family. Excellent! I imagine it's getting harder and harder to not see the baby since others are visiting. I sure hope difficult child arranges the tests to get it resolved soon.

Sue, I guess you have to hold the thought that your immediate family had a very nice Christmas and let the others sink if they choose to. I'm glad you had such a nice moment with Melissa. It's been a long time coming.

Suz

 

[carolanne]

Mine turned out to be really nice, the parts I can remember My youngest gfgd has a big sister through the big sister organization and she popped in Sunday for gifts and a chat(she's only 2 yrs younger than me) and I recieved a beautiful windup frosty snowglobe. I went to wind it up and the mechanism snapped and frosty whipped around and sliced through my finger pretty bad so I went off to the er.....big sister was in tears and I was laughing through mine...should have seen the look on the dr face when I said frosty tried to bite off my finger... :grin:....I lost the fingernail and there is some nerve damage so beware those frosty globes... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/11-24g.gif

Anyway, I spent xmas day doped up and loving it....apparently I cooked a pretty mean turkey and fixings but I don't really remember it too much....

I also was told I had a pretty good conversation with my oldest when she called...really wish I could remember that....sigh....oh well..

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!

Carolanne

 

[DDD]

Carolanne, maybe your day was an example of "the Lord works
in mysterious ways". You had a MERRY Christmas due to the
unexpected accident. Glad you had a happy! DDD :grin:

 

[SunnyFlorida]

We made it through also :grin: difficult child 1 came for breakfast so I made our version of a Mexican breakfast. difficult child 2, girlfriend, my mom, my sister(difficult child) and family, baby and exgf came for lunch. We had to do the presents very fast because of people leaving, eating, and the little ones were just over Christmas. All in all everyone was nice, everyone ate, no one complained...except for the rain.

I had baby all day today :grin:

 

[Suz]

Okay, so if I get this right so far....

Carolanne had the ***HIGHEST*** CHRISTMAS experience... :wink:

...but Sunny, I read on another thread that some Sangria might have you tied with this *honor* :smile:

.......certainly we've all had our fair share of lousy holidays and our dear Kathy was the *winner* of this year's WORST CHRISTMAS /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/919Mad.gif ...

.....BEST CHRISTMAS sounds like Karen's---do you agree? WOW, I sure wouldn't have believed that a year ago, would any of you??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/11-24g.gif

...DDD challenged all of us for the CLEVEREST WARRIOR MOM MOVE for the day... :bravo:

...and babysis Sue C. got the award for GOOFIEST OUTSIDE FAMILY MEMBERS- Congrats, Sue... :hammer:



Suz :princess:

 

[Hound dog]

Suz

Christmas went smoothly at our house. Not one hint of gfgdom to be found. Believe me that's a FIRST.

N and baby Aubrey woke me a 7am, and then she went downstairs to put on a pot of coffee for me. (the girl knows her Mom lol) N even made sure T was downstairs to be in on her and the baby opening their gifts from Santa and us. You could've knocked me over with a feather. :shocked:
Then N, b/f, and the baby were off to his parents to open presents there. Around 1pm the family decended on me again to open family gifts and for dinner. We had to chuckle as Darrin was initiated into *waiting your turn to open a present*. Everyone laughed and enjoyed the presents.

Dinner turned out well. Food cooked up nice, I now have 2 holidays that I didn't manage to ruin something. lol

Then the whole family packed up and went to mother in law's to visit and open presents there. Hard to believe she is 92 this year. Then N, b/f, and baby had to go to his grandparents. easy child and her husband went to work. We took Darrin home with us and tucked him into bed.

I've decided that I might like having grown kids.

Oh, then husband got a JOB! That was the real topper. :grin:

:smile:

 

[Sue C]

Hey Suz,

Thanks for the award! Today I'm dealing with a goofy family member. Guess who? Melissa, of course. Perhaps I'll post about it later.

Sue

 

[ScentofCedar]

I'm glad that the dinner went well, Suz. It must have been a strange (and sort of wonderful!) feeling to see Rob acting as host for Christmas dinner.

That is really something special.

Barbara

:smile:

 

[Kathy813]

Gee, I finally "win" something and it's the worst Christmas award.

Do I get a prize?

~Kathy

 

[KFld]

I think I'm turning my best xmas award over to Ponygirl. I know I had a wonderful one, but hers was picture perfect. No pun intended. Well, maybe a little!!

 

[Suz]

Karen, perhaps the best Christmas award should be a three-way tie. Sounds like Lisa had a great one, too- and, to top it off, her husband got a job! So you, Pony, and Lisa can all share those honors this year.

Kathy, I expect you would have loved to have NOT won your award. I mean, who wants to win "worst Christmas"??? Perhaps there were others who could have provided some competition for you but they didn't post. I think you should join the best Christmas winners in the Bahamas for a week of R&R&Raoul. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/11-24g.gif

Suz