Last night, the Engineer got a phone call from his sister-in-law, not long after I’d gotten off the phone with my mother. I had just finished telling her that we planned to have a relaxing Christmas this year. No traveling. Just us. He’d actually managed to get time off, which is a miracle in and of itself.
I spoke too soon.
Dear sister-in-law suggested that we come down for Christmas. Same state, just six-and-a-half hours apart. I don’t so much mind family or company for the holidays so much, so that in itself isn’t necessarily bad.
If it were just the brother and sister-in-law.
But my mother-in-law is down there. Mami is a five-foot-nothing Cuban woman. Blonde haired and green eyed, which you would not believe to look at her sons, but there you have it. Mami has opinions about everything. Including me, the non-Cuban, not-so-fluently Spanish-speaking daughter-in-law.
Mami, as a matter of fact, has not so recently informed the Engineer that, as I do not participate much in the conversations around her house that whip by, in Spanish, at approximately warp three, there must be something wrong with me, poor soul. I must be slow. Tsk and for shame.
It’s going to be one of those holidays.
That said, family is family and I will survive. I’ll probably even enjoy myself a little. I’ll try not to white-knuckle the car door handle when we pull into the drive, and all will be fine.
Anybody else out there dreading the holidays as much as they’re looking forward to them? I hope, for your sakes, that you can find some joy too.
Happy holidays!
December 20th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Eeek! That’s a little scary. I hope things go all right. But that’s never fun dealing with relatives determined to make you miserable.
December 21st, 2006 at 1:31 am
Ouch. Watch out for the fruitcake. Or at least hope they put as much booze in it as my grandma.
December 21st, 2006 at 6:27 pm
My inlaws are coming to stay. For five days.
The plus side, they now love me. The BIG Plus…Boxing day sales and shopping. *drool* No kids invited.
The downside…um. I have people living with me for five days. I don’t share well.
I’ll be thinking of you Sara. You’re welcome to join my Family Insanity on New Years day when 40 of my immediate family (brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews) invade the family homestead for a belated Christmas party. Fun fun. Crazy.