Vent your holiday stress and drama HERE!

I’ll validate you on that one a hundred percent! My 4th grader came home from school a couple weeks ago saying she wanted to get a few friends a small stuffed animal (certain specific animals) for Christmas, one being a German Shepherd which I knew was going to be a tough thing to find. So instead of telling her to pick something else to give her friends, genius me said, “Why don’t we make them out of pompoms? I used to make stuff like that when I was your age all the time.” Yeah, what was I thinking? 

First I bought three skeins of yarn on sale (roughly $4 each) and a pack of plastic animal eyes (another couple bucks). Went home and tried to make the pompoms the old fashioned way, OMG. What a nightmare. Looked online at some YouTube videos and went back to the store to get the rest of the yarn (two more skeins at $4 each) and a Pom Pom maker, only they didn’t have the one I saw so I bought this other thing that said you could make more than one at once! Sweet! Another $9 there, except it didn’t work as well as we’d hoped. Back to the store to get the Clover ones, medium and small, another $20 or so, plus a couple pieces of felt which was another couple dollars. I already had tacky glue and hot glue and heavyweight cotton thread at home. By the time we were done, I probably could have gone online and just bought the stupid things and wouldn’t have had to waste three days of my life making pompoms. 

FWIW, the kids that she gave them to all loved them so at least there’s that. Maybe someday I’ll learn, but probably not. 

I’m making my BFF an apron and I bet it will take less time than those pompom things!

I sent out the menu to my brothers and their wives. We are basically cooking everything however I asked them to let me know what they could add to the meal. My SIL replied ‘ I’ve already done our food shopping and have yet to wrap. Sorry’ the other SIL has yet to reply bc they went to Ohio to see the Ravens game which they’ve posted on FB all weekend but can’t reply. The norm for them is a tray of deviled eggs. We have spent well over $150 plus prep time. They wonder why I go away for thanksgiving. We by the way have the smallest house. The brother with the largest house and no kids, never hosts. If it weren’t for my dd and parents, we would just go away next Christmas.

I could never tell a host, sorry, I’ve already food shopped. I mean I usually call the day before and sometimes the day of and ask if there’s anything else we can bring. 😡🙄

I’ll validate you on that one a hundred percent! My 4th grader came home from school a couple weeks ago saying she wanted to get a few friends a small stuffed animal (certain specific animals) for Christmas, one being a German Shepherd which I knew was going to be a tough thing to find. So instead of telling her to pick something else to give her friends, genius me said, “Why don’t we make them out of pompoms? I used to make stuff like that when I was your age all the time.” Yeah, what was I thinking? 

First I bought three skeins of yarn on sale (roughly $4 each) and a pack of plastic animal eyes (another couple bucks). Went home and tried to make the pompoms the old fashioned way, OMG. What a nightmare. Looked online at some YouTube videos and went back to the store to get the rest of the yarn (two more skeins at $4 each) and a Pom Pom maker, only they didn’t have the one I saw so I bought this other thing that said you could make more than one at once! Sweet! Another $9 there, except it didn’t work as well as we’d hoped. Back to the store to get the Clover ones, medium and small, another $20 or so, plus a couple pieces of felt which was another couple dollars. I already had tacky glue and hot glue and heavyweight cotton thread at home. By the time we were done, I probably could have gone online and just bought the stupid things and wouldn’t have had to waste three days of my life making pompoms. 

FWIW, the kids that she gave them to all loved them so at least there’s that. Maybe someday I’ll learn, but probably not. 

I’m making my BFF an apron and I bet it will take less time than those pompom things![/quote]

Yes but then neither of you would have the memories and fun of making the pom pom animals.

Sometimes it feels like you can't make it up, doesn't it?

Found out in january that DD, after a long time of sypmtoms, has a brain malformation. We have yet to find a doctor in our area who knows anything about it and some who do do not believe it causes symptoms. It's been a very bad year for her, full of pain and struggles. We traveled out of state (and out of pocket bc our insurance won't pay out of state) to see a doctor who was very specialized in her condition and fully validated everything we knew to be correct about her symptoms and pain. I was very comfortable with the doctor (as was she). We worked hard to figure out the money to pay for surgery and a lengthy hospital stay out of state (huge consideration) We planned surgery...and the doctor received his own negative health diagnosis and retired immediately. This was in October, we have been on the hunt for a new doctor and have an appointment Jan 13. But this entire year has been horrid for her. Praying for relief in 2020 so she can get her life back.
She spent a week in an outpatient facility for self harm and suicidal thoughts. This is the second time - last time was in 2017. I posted about it here. Having chronic pain and basically and 'invisible' condition are awful on her and magnify the depression she already deals with.

Dad has early stage alzheimers but it is getting worse by the day. We have to help him with pretty much everything. I love him and I don't mind, but I am self employed and if I am not working I am not earning. It gets really hard sometimes. My sister helps as much as she can.
The week after Thanksgiving my mom had what was assumed to be a stroke, By the end of a week long hospital stay they decided it was Vertigo. She remains completely deaf in one ear that happened at the time of the 'event'. She still has small bouts of dizziness and has not been cleared to drive so I have to do everything for her as well. She has a lot of doctors appointments right now, needs to be take to the store, etc. Now the doctor disagrees with vertigo and thinks it WAS a stroke. And they don't believe they can get her hearing restored. Again, don't mind. I adore my parents. But it gets to be a lot. My sister has just started a new job where she has more flexibility so I am grateful she'll be able to help more.

Pops (family friend) died. His family (what was left of it) fell apart in the days after his death. Relationships ruined, friendships and siblings. It extended into our family who had done nothing but help. It was sad and distressing. I miss him and I am so sad for him, the poor sweet thing has got to be rolling over in his grave. He would be so disappointed.

Our dad's girlfriend of 15 years just got sick and had major surgery Friday. She has no children so we are doing for her as if she were ours. We love her and she needs help, so we will help. She'll be in the hospital through Christmas.

DD and her fiance broke up week before last. She is a mess on top of all the other stuff she is dealing with. He works for our business. It's difficult all the way around on everyone.

Last week my old college friend died from a brain tumor. My other friend had a double mastectomy. I am so sad and it has truly affected me.

Last week one of DD's friends and her boyfriend got kicked out of their house - falling out with parents in an already unstable and abusive situation. they had nowhere to stay so we took them in (we would not have them in the street, which was their only option besides us) counseled them, fed them and tried to help them build a plan to get on their own and get started on some kind of path that did not include busking on the street and couch surfing. But DS was headed home for the holiday so we needed that room cleared out and to start getting our home ready for all the festivites that I am now hosting because mom is unable to do what she normally does. The boyfriend bothered me, but couldn't put my finger on why. DH felt it too, and we just weren't comfortable. a distant relative put them up in a hotel for a few days so they could make a plan -- they left them majority of their stuff at our house until they got things worked out. Annndddd we now have roaches. We have never had roaches - I find out that they house they moved from was INFESTED with the nasty little f*ckers - they brought them with them. Handling that. Ugh.

Heater died late last week, too late to order or get the part needed so we loaded up on firewood and bundle up in our beds at night all weekend. Here's hoping the part can be found today in town.

Our pool has  been a  mess for 2 years+ - a whole slew of problems. Expensive to repair. I've been putting money aside for TWO years to pay for the repairs to not ding the household budget. Finally got it fixed this fall, finished just before Thanksgiving.  Last weekend the liner lifted and started floating ARE. YOU. FREAKING. KIDDING. ME. I cried for an hour. The pool company has ignored my calls. I'm trying to be gracious - the weather has been bad, it's the holidays etc. But I'm ready to blow my top. I have given them excellent reviews, already told everyone I know with a pool how great they are. Their service and work were excellent - they even charged me less than the original quote because once they got the old liner out and could assess the damage it was not as bad as was feared. They could have charged me the whole amount, which i was prepared for, and I would have been none the wiser. So I appreciated their honesty and integrity and now this? Ugh.

I know I've left something out. A lot of good has happened too, but this last quarter has been a mess!

genny Yikes! I am so sorry. That is way too much to deal with. I hope you catch a break soon.

My DH is driving me up the f*ing walls. So on Friday am he decides that we need to take my BMW to shop so they can do some warranty work on it. I tell DH that I am worried about not having wheels for more than one day as I have a crap ton to do and can't this wait til after Christmas? No problem, he says. It'll be ok. There is plenty of time to get the work done and get my car back. The BMW house says it will be done Friday evening, or Sat at lunch at the latest. Its now Monday at 2:00 and my car still isn't done. So they give me a rental car so I can get my errands done. They call me after I have had the car one hour and tell me they sold this car and I need to bring it back right now. OK so I take it back and they give me another car...so I take it to Target. When I go to leave it wont start. DH asks me if I am starting the car correctly (insinuating I am doing something wrong). No, MFer. I know how to work the damn car. The dealership offers to come get me and take me home. Sure enough, they get to Target and the car wont turn over. So now I am at home, with no car. And still have a crap ton to do. DH is at work today and he's acting like I am overreacting to this. I just want my car back.

Meanwhile, DH acts like he did oh so much to help with Christmas because he went to ONE store and took care of ONE persons gifts. Mind you, they aren't wrapped and I get to do that.

I am just over it. Im over it all.

Sounds miserable!  I feel bad for you having to go.  Are they local where you just have to go for a little while and can leave?  Or do you have to travel and stay a couple days?  I hope it goes well and better than you expected.

I have a bad cold for Christmas, and oldest DD has a tentative bipolar diagnosis and some new meds that apparently make things worse before they get better, so she's veering from absolute rage to cheerful jollity with the speed of a rubber ball. It's super fun. Oh and she's back with the boyfriend who has mental health issues of his own and they feed off of each other. It's super fun.

Merry Christmas to everyone having a rough time!

Thank you <3
We are local, so we'll be there for maybe six hours and then go home. I can smile for six hours

Ugh, after having my period for Thanksgiving, the spacing of the holidays this year means it's back for Christmas. Krampus is visiting, and I haven't even been naughty!

Husband who hasn’t worked in over 7 days to me just now: what are we eating today?
Me: there’s meat and cheese and crackers and fruit.

Him: you haven’t cooked a meal in 3 days.

Me: maybe if I didn’t have to buy my own Christmas gift, I could plan a holiday meal.
Edited.
Him: we can’t have a platter for lunch.

Me: we can and we are.

I’ve been saying for two weeks that I wasn’t making a Christmas dinner. I cooked at thanksgiving and i cooked for 9 hours, and everyone ate in under 10 minutes. It’s just the 4 of us. Seems like a waste of time and money to cook a huge meal. Especially since everyone bitches about any meal I make any day of the week.

Update at 17:21 * Our flight has been delayed an additional three times. Every time a flight lands, someone yells, “Look! A plane! Then everyone else yells, “But it’s not ours!” And we all cackle maniacally. 😂😭

If you do, I’d send Pans of pasta and fried chicken both are East to reheat and can be eaten cold!

Hubby is picking up a pizza it’s just the three of us tonight and I’m sick and I just don’t care. I vote takeout or whatever hubby will make. I hear you on the Thanksgiving thing. It takes days of prep and then it’s for what a quick dinner before everyone rushes home again and then you have to still do all the cleanup. I’m too old for this crap lol and we are doing easier meals now.