Oh, family.

[feuervogel]

So, every year, my mom's side of the family has a Christmas shindig-type thing. In years past, it's been the Sunday before Christmas, but they want to change it to the Sunday *after* now. (Which is 12/26 this year, and not exactly convenient for me, because it's easier to find pet sitters NOT on holiday weekends, ffs.)

Though that's not really the annoying part. Traditionally, we get a name from a hat and buy that person a gift. But since we're all grown up and moved away (though honestly my cousin L and I are the only people who left the state) and blah blah, someone had the bright idea of a non-specific exchange, wherein everyone buys a single $5-10 gift, wraps it, and marks it "male" or "female."

I trust you see where my issue is with that.

They'll be discussing it at a Labor Day picnic my uncle is planning, which, of course, overlaps with Dragon*Con, so I won't be there.

(And a funny from grandma. Appended to the end of the note, after a quick run-down of what the family is up to (Ben, I'll interpret for you) was this piece of understatement: "I hear you've been traveling." I suppose I should take that as a sign to stop being a horrible grandchild and send her a letter. But all my photos are digital, and she doesn't use email, so unless I burn them to CD, she won't see them. Though without explanation, they won't be all that interesting, I guess.)

Comments

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I hear you. My partner and I have been trying to deal with our families' gatherings for years. His *entire* family will get together on one day for a holiday, and they tell us months in advance.

...my family will decide their plans at the last minute, change them three times, and then my mother will be annoyed when I tell her I'm busy. My Fun Aunt's husband's family is like my partner's, so I'm not the only one bailing on a regular basis. My mom is slowly coming to terms with this, so we do a lot of day-before gatherings.

[feuervogel]

My in-laws had to be told repeatedly early-on that no, we can't visit both families (in MD and StL) at Christmas, so we're alternating which family gets which holiday. His family is used to traveling all over creation in the 2-week period around December 25, since they live in StL, his dad's family was concentrated in LA, and his mom's in the PDX area, and they saw both families.

Hahaha, no.