[Nessa213]

There are pluses and minuses to living close to family. Both sides of the family.

Up until about 9 months ago it was only my parents that lived close to us. (And by close... I mean they live about an hour away.) But 9 months ago (ish) my husband's family moved to be closer to my daughter. Not my husband... not to "come back home"... no... to come back and smother my only child.

Anyway... I digress.... *breathe*...

So now on the big holidays (apparently Mother's Day is now considered a "big" enough holiday to require a cookout) everyone gets together. It sounds sweet and quaint and charming and all of that nauseating stuff, but to me it's just a huge stress fest.

I've always gotten along with my parents. I mean, they were distant. VERY distant while I was growing up and left me alone a lot. (As an only child this got to be quite boring.) But I've never outright hated them or anything. And my dad... well he's a lot like me... he isn't medicated... or even really ready to admit that he even may have a problem. So he's unpredictable. Which puts more stress on me where I always feel like I have to run damage control.

My husband's family is actually quite... "normal". In all honesty. It would be sickening were it not so cute. So when everyone gets together it's always an interesting dynamic.

The judgments and backhanded comments always stress me out. I don't think anyone means to be offensive... they just are. And add on top of that they continue to smother my child. My sister in law making comments like "There's MY baby!!!" make me want to legit punch her in the face. And GAH the sound of them eating... I know it's a little thing but... ****... makes me seriously shudder. I kid you not I didn't think it humanly possible to chew food as loudly as they do. Little things... like nails on a ****ing chalkboard.

I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it. Can I go back to work please? I'll do extra hours! I'll sleep in my cube under my desk!! I like work. Quiet. Headphones. People leave me the hell alone.

I need a drink.

EDIT: And did I mention it's effing springtime so our house is effing OVERRUN with spiders!?!?!? AHHHHHHHHH! I hate spiders... with a burning fiery passion of a thousand exploding suns....

[unaluna]

Well I just want to say I totally totally appreciate you and my SIL putting up with me for so long. Some of my happiest memories of my adult life are of my nephew. It wasn't your fault, but maybe if my brother hadn't been such a dickhead, I would have had kids of my own.

[Nessa213]

I will continue to put up with it and will never stand in the way of my sister in law spending time with her niece. I know it means a lot to her. She also doesn't have any children of her own so I respect that she wants to spend a lot of time with her.

My daughter and your nephew are lucky kids to have family that cares so much about them. Which is why it's REALLY hard to for me complain about it... outloud anyway.

[unaluna]

I do moan a little over my mother's cooking, but otherwise I'm a pretty quiet eater! I am with you on that!! But this all might explain why my SIL hits the wine bottle at dinner! If the shoe were on the other foot, I wonder if I would have had the patience they had. So totally kudos to you!!