Life Christmas back home/at the in-laws

allen_kcCard · 12-02-2009, 03:19 PM

My wife and I both life away from our hometowns...me being 2 hours from there, and her's being another 1.5 hours past that.

As typical I guess, when we were dating in college we had time off for Christmas and split time spending time at both places, and when we got married we did the same.

After we had kids, we still did it, and kind of talked about how it is nice to make it to all the other familiy stuff, but man was it a lot of driving, and we never were able to have Christmas morning at our own home, we were always at one homeown or the other...sometimes hitting both on the same day.

Now, our oldest is 7 and we also have a 3 year old, and I think in total we have ended up having 1 Chirstmas day at our own home, when my wife was 6 moths pregnant with the 3 year old, and even then my entire family was there to do our whole family thing.

This year...same thing all over again. I'm off from the 17th-25th, then have to work the 26th and 27th, then am off again from the 28th-31st...2 days out of 15 that I have to work...and holy cow, what a pain. Right now it looks like we might be going to may parents to get everything done there and at my grandma's, then (hopefully) come home Christmas eve to go to church here, then have Chirsmas morning at home alone for the first time ever, then pile into the car sometime pretty early (stopping the kids from enjoying what they just opened) and drive 4 hours to her hometown to have another Chistmas (which everyone admittedly loves, includng me), then pile back in sometime late that night to get back home for me to work the next day at 7am. Ugh...a wonderful Christmas day full of 8 hours at least of driving.

Another option would be for me to not go, which would leave me alone for most of Chistams day, or worse completely alone if my wife and kids l go the day before, or for us to just say screw it, we are putting our foot down and we will either have it before the 24th, or after the 28th or we won't be there for it...sorry.

Would be nice if we were closer sometimes, at least within an hours drive of both places, then it wouldn't be a huge deal, but we have always thought we made the decision to love so far away, so we will be the ones to make sacrifices to get ourselves to where our families are.

Anyhow...anyone else do any rediculous traveling like that each and every year? When is it time to put a stop to it and let my kids see what Christmas morning is supposed to be like in thier own home?

**The Franchise** · 12-02-2009, 03:20 PM

FWIW......we only do family shit on the days OTHER than Christmas.

My family gets Christmas Eve.
We do our own thing Christmas day.
Her family gets the day after Christmas.

Inspector · 12-02-2009, 03:24 PM

We've always had our kids and grandkids come over on Christmas but have toyed with the idea of just making the rounds at their homes. We have 5 kids with one out of town (in Afganistan) but the rest will be in town this year so we may start a new tradition. Besides, it's cheaper because we always throw a big shindig and have to buy about $300 worth of food. Let them do it for a change.

Fritz88 · 12-02-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

FWIW......we only do family shit on the days OTHER than Christmas.

My family gets Christmas Eve.
We do our own thing Christmas day.
Her family gets the day after Christmas.

You can hire Pestilence to do your xmas visits.

"I just farted"

RaiderH8r · 12-02-2009, 04:06 PM

The wife and I travel either half way across the country or 3/4 of the way across the country for Christmas every year. Every January I inform my wife that this is the year we tell those f'ers (who aren't toting infants and/or toddlers and paying $200-$400/ticket) that planes fly east. I've seen'em do it, I guaran f'ing tee you can come this a way for once and every Christmas I'm biting my tongue and boarding a f'ing flight loaded on Xanax. Frick on a stick with a brick. They're all retiring I'm eking out a living in a shitty job market and we're the ones shelling out for the flight? F'ers.

**BigRedChief** · 12-02-2009, 04:10 PM

Had the same issue. Every other year we would be on one side of the family's Christmas, the other sides the next year. Never to our own. We started having our own christmas at our house, just myself, the wife and son for about 4 years. Last year we went back to the parents because they are getting old, so the guilt got to us.

**sd4chiefs** · 12-02-2009, 04:13 PM

I get to travel from San Diego to Wichita to visit my (Vegetarian Peta nut) Mother-in-law and my (Let me tell you my WWII stories for the 100th time) Father-in-law for Christmas. I can't wait it is going to be so assume.

angelo · 12-02-2009, 04:15 PM

I feel it is about the family not the day.

We have had christmas day anywhere from thanksgiving to valentines day.

We just have whenever it is convenient for everyone.

Ang

12-02-2009, 03:19 PM
allen_kcCard Veteran Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $4453183	Christmas back home/at the in-laws My wife and I both life away from our hometowns...me being 2 hours from there, and her's being another 1.5 hours past that. As typical I guess, when we were dating in college we had time off for Christmas and split time spending time at both places, and when we got married we did the same. After we had kids, we still did it, and kind of talked about how it is nice to make it to all the other familiy stuff, but man was it a lot of driving, and we never were able to have Christmas morning at our own home, we were always at one homeown or the other...sometimes hitting both on the same day. Now, our oldest is 7 and we also have a 3 year old, and I think in total we have ended up having 1 Chirstmas day at our own home, when my wife was 6 moths pregnant with the 3 year old, and even then my entire family was there to do our whole family thing. This year...same thing all over again. I'm off from the 17th-25th, then have to work the 26th and 27th, then am off again from the 28th-31st...2 days out of 15 that I have to work...and holy cow, what a pain. Right now it looks like we might be going to may parents to get everything done there and at my grandma's, then (hopefully) come home Christmas eve to go to church here, then have Chirsmas morning at home alone for the first time ever, then pile into the car sometime pretty early (stopping the kids from enjoying what they just opened) and drive 4 hours to her hometown to have another Chistmas (which everyone admittedly loves, includng me), then pile back in sometime late that night to get back home for me to work the next day at 7am. Ugh...a wonderful Christmas day full of 8 hours at least of driving. Another option would be for me to not go, which would leave me alone for most of Chistams day, or worse completely alone if my wife and kids l go the day before, or for us to just say screw it, we are putting our foot down and we will either have it before the 24th, or after the 28th or we won't be there for it...sorry. Would be nice if we were closer sometimes, at least within an hours drive of both places, then it wouldn't be a huge deal, but we have always thought we made the decision to love so far away, so we will be the ones to make sacrifices to get ourselves to where our families are. Anyhow...anyone else do any rediculous traveling like that each and every year? When is it time to put a stop to it and let my kids see what Christmas morning is supposed to be like in thier own home?
Posts: 2,767

12-02-2009, 03:20 PM	#2
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $3105047	FWIW......we only do family shit on the days OTHER than Christmas. My family gets Christmas Eve. We do our own thing Christmas day. Her family gets the day after Christmas.
Posts: 92,176

12-02-2009, 03:24 PM	#3
Inspector MVP Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: K.C. Casino cash: $9924975	We've always had our kids and grandkids come over on Christmas but have toyed with the idea of just making the rounds at their homes. We have 5 kids with one out of town (in Afganistan) but the rest will be in town this year so we may start a new tradition. Besides, it's cheaper because we always throw a big shindig and have to buy about $300 worth of food. Let them do it for a change. __________________ As always, this is IMO.
Posts: 7,907

12-02-2009, 04:06 PM	#5
RaiderH8r Now it's Willie Time! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Beating hippies Casino cash: $5223512	The wife and I travel either half way across the country or 3/4 of the way across the country for Christmas every year. Every January I inform my wife that this is the year we tell those f'ers (who aren't toting infants and/or toddlers and paying $200-$400/ticket) that planes fly east. I've seen'em do it, I guaran f'ing tee you can come this a way for once and every Christmas I'm biting my tongue and boarding a f'ing flight loaded on Xanax. Frick on a stick with a brick. They're all retiring I'm eking out a living in a shitty job market and we're the ones shelling out for the flight? F'ers. __________________ “You may think RaiderH8r is just a thinker. But I’m not just a thinker. I’m a doer. Every day I go out there, and rev that engine, fire it up, grab a hold of that line between speed and chaos, and wrestle it to the ground like a demon cobra. And when the fear rises up in my belly, I use it. Fear is powerful, because it’s been there for billions of years. And it is good. And I use it. And I ride it; I ride it like a skeleton horse through the gates of hell.”
Posts: 4,051

12-02-2009, 04:10 PM	#6
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3139627 VARSITY	Had the same issue. Every other year we would be on one side of the family's Christmas, the other sides the next year. Never to our own. We started having our own christmas at our house, just myself, the wife and son for about 4 years. Last year we went back to the parents because they are getting old, so the guilt got to us. __________________ Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. -YODA
Posts: 79,021

12-02-2009, 04:13 PM	#7
sd4chiefs error 404 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bizarro World Casino cash: $8830445	I get to travel from San Diego to Wichita to visit my (Vegetarian Peta nut) Mother-in-law and my (Let me tell you my WWII stories for the 100th time) Father-in-law for Christmas. I can't wait it is going to be so assume. __________________ “It's Easier to Fool People Than It Is to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled.” – Mark Twain.
Posts: 3,981

12-02-2009, 04:15 PM	#8
angelo Starter Join Date: Oct 2007 Casino cash: $9944965	I feel it is about the family not the day. We have had christmas day anywhere from thanksgiving to valentines day. We just have whenever it is convenient for everyone. Ang
Posts: 773