Family Fun

Last Wednesday after DH got home from work we headed out to go to DH’s aunt and uncle’s house on the Eastern side of WI.  The skies looked ominous but we actually had good luck and didn’t really get into any of the bad weather.  The drive went well and we got there around 8:45.

My MIL/FIL and another of DH’s aunts had arrived earlier in the day but they were gone when we arrived because they were at the airport picking up my SIL that had just gotten in from CA.  So we had some time alone with just DH’s aunt and uncle which was nice.  We only get to see them once a year so it’s always nice to catch up.

We caught up with the inlaws and such for a while after they got back from the airport.  My SiL and I haven’t seen each other in over 14 months so we always have alot to catch up on.  And that usually means late nights once we get together!  DH’s aunt, my SIL and I all ended up staying up talking and having a good time until the skies got light outside, it was after 5 a.m. when we decided maybe we should head to bed.  lol

Thursday DH’s aunt and uncle had their customer appreciation picnic.  They own a concrete company and throw this catered picnic for their contractors and others they do business with.  We’ve been to a couple of them now and they are pretty good.  Lots of really good food, free drinks, and just a nice relaxing time.  I always opt to stay behind when the rest of the family decides to head back to the house so I can hang out with them and help with the clean up.  This time though since I was staying behind my MIL decided that SHE had to stay behind to and since she did then that meant that her sister did too.  Of absolutely no help to anyone what so ever but whatever, she can’t just leave people alone, she always has to stick her nose in where it’s never wanted.  So we stayed and help clean up.  DH came back after a while to see how things were going and we luckily were able to load up my MIL and AIL with him and sent them packing.  lol  DH’s aunt and I finally got everything done and cleaned up and were home before 8:30.  Again, it ended up being a long night and we didn’t get to bed until almost 6 a.m.  You know it’s not a good sign when DH’s uncle is getting UP to go to work for the day and we haven’t been to bed yet!  lol

Friday my MIL, SIL and two AIL’s and I all headed to Bayshore Mall for a day of shopping.  Well, it was supposed to be a day of shopping but one thing lead to another and we got a late start and all sorts of things.  But we made it.  Got there, took forever to find a place to park sinc ethe place was PACKED.  Walked to the actual mall area (it’s kind of an outdoor mall of sorts where all of the stores have acess from the street, like a strip mall) and no one could figure out what they wanted to do once they were there.  So we stoppped on the first corner we found that had one of those "you are here" type maps and my MIL and one AIL tried to figure out what they wanted to go do.  My SIL, AIL and I got bored waiting for them to try and figure something out so we told them we would step into the Kay Jewelers that was right there.  So the three of us went in there and they continued to stand on the corner trying to decide what to do.  My MIL, being the witch that she is, came into the store in a huff and was all "I dont’; like "REAL" jewlery, I like costume jewelry, you can get the same stuff that looks just as good in that" and acted like a total bitch while in the store.  My SiL tried on some stuff, my AIL asked to try on a couple of things.  And all that I did was get my rings cleaned when they asked if they could clean them for all of us.  My MIL by that time as in an absolutel tizzy becuase she said "this bores me I’m leaving".  Good riddance, please get lost and don’t come back!  I swear, that woman……..

So we finally left that store, they still didn’t know exactly where they wanted to go or what they wanted to do.  There was this lengthy debate on where and when to eat lunch.  My MIL was adamant that she wanted to go to the Bare Minerals makeup store.  As we were walking down the street in that general direction we passed a Swarovski Crystal store.  My one AIL, SIL and I decided to go in and look around.  My AIL has gotten a few pieces of jewelry from there and was looking for matching pieces, so we went along for the ride.  AGain, my MIL because the wicked witch of the South and got all pissy with us for goign in there.  So she and her sister left and went to the stupid makeup store.  My SIL ended up buying a ring in there, and then we decided to buy a necklace and earring set for my other AIL as a "Thank you" gift since she has been caring for our grandmother for over a month while she recovered from colon cancer surgery. 

We finally met up with my MIL and other AIL at the makeup store.  They had been there for a long time and they StILL weren’t done getting crap put on their faces.  Finally they got done, bought their $80+ worth of crap and we were on our way.  We noticed the Cold Creek clothing store ahead and decided to go in there and shop a bit.  Grandma’s birthday is on the 27th and that’s her FAVORITE store so we went in search of a gift for her.  My MIL and her sister immediately went to the clearance racks looking for somethign for their mother.  The rest of us looked around looking for something too.  They were being so cheap that they tried to MAKE things fit for their Mom that wouldn’t in a million years simply becuase they were cheap.  Stupid.  I found a shirt for her for $18.99 and they all wanted to ‘split’ the cost of it.  Excuse me?!?!?!?  When I said no they got all ticked off again.  Whatever.  So we continued to shop.  In the end I spent $52 on things for Grandma (actually DH’s grandma), my other AIL spent over $60, and what do you suppose my MIL and her sister spent?  They split a $49 clearance shirt.  They were positive that Grandma wouldn’;t like our items but guess what, she LOVED them!  HA! 

So we finally left the clothing store.  My MIL was shooting daggars at the three of us.  lol  We continued walking up the street because after much debate on where to eat lunch we simply told her that we were going to eat at Cheesecake Factory.  She was TICKED.  She did not want to eat there, said it took to long, blah, blah, blah.  As if we were in any sort of hurry.  So we went, got seated right away (surprise surprise!) and tried to figure out what to eat off of like a 20+ page menu.  It was huge, I couldn’t believe it.  The three of us figured it out quickly, but my MIL dragged her feet on what she wanted.  In the end she decided on a Weight Control Asian Chicken Salad.  And she made her sister get it too even though she was leaning more towards an omelet.  The waitress recommended the salad so they both got it.  When the food came the three of us that got the pasta dishes were delighted with our choices, they were DELICIOUS!  What my MIL and her sister got looked like a serving platter that someone had opened up a bag of le

ttuce on and dumped it into this huge pile in the middle.  They started to eat it and discovered that it seemed like something wasn’t quite right with it.  My MIL proceeded to wrinkle up0 her stupid face and bitch about it but didn’t want to say anything to the waitress.  I told her to either say something or just be quiet and eat it.  I was getting sooooo tired of hearing her bitching by that point that I didn’t care.  So finally they tell the waitress and my MIL tries to argue with her about ti.  They took the salads back and it was taking forever.  Finally they came out and said that they had a new salad girl and she hadn’t followed the recipe correctly so things had been left off.  By that time the three of us were done eating and they were still sitting there with this mountain of salad in front of them.  So my SIL asks them if it were possible to have the salads removed from our bill since they weren’t able to eat them and were were done and on our way out.  They did end up comping the entire amoutn of the salads so they didn’t have to pay for them and they brought out containers for them to take them home.  My MIL was still bitching and complaining the entire time.

We decided while we were eating that we were going to get a cheesecake to celebrate Grandma’s birthday that night.  My MIL, being the cheap thing taht she is, said a 7 in cake was good enough.  a 7 inch cake serves up to 7 people, we had almost double that.  So in the end, since they didn’t ahve to pay for their meals we deicded on getting the larger cake and getting half in Lemon Raspberry and the other in Kahlua Mocha something or other.  My MIL bitched the entire time we discussed it, rolled her eyes, and just in general was a real pain in the a&&.  So we ordered it anyway, with her saying "your eyes are bigger than your bellies I think, we don’t need that much", blah, blah, blah.  So the stuff finally comes, we are getting ready to pay the bill and my MIL starts bitching about having to pitch in towards the cake.  Now remember, her $11 salad was comped so she had no expense for that meal.  All that was asked of her was to contribute $8 towards the cake, to which she bitched.  We get the bill all settled and are getting up to head out.  My MIL and her sister got out first and headed towards teh door.  My SiL was collecting her bag and getting out of the big corner booth, I was standing up and putting the boxes with out leftovers into one of our bags when my MIL comes flying back half way to our table and SCREAMS " I said com on!"  I said that we were putting the leftovers and the cheesecake that my other AIL had ordered for herself in to the bags.  She thought we were talking about the big cheesecake (which was like 10-12 inches around and huge and in it’s own bag) and again SCREAMS  "I said come on, don’t horse around putting the cheesecake in a stupid bag, just carry it" and she stomps off.  My AIL, SIL and I stopped dead in our tracks and just looked at each other like WTH?  So we headed towards the door and as we got half way there my MIL was on her way back to probably scream at us again for not running to her beck and call.  Ugghhh. 

We walk out of the restarurant and my MIL decides for all of us that it’s getting to late (it was now around 4) and that we werne’t going to be doing any more shopping.  WTH?  We literally were allowed to go into 3 stores, and two of those were of HER choosing.  We suggested splitting u0p and doing some mroe shopping on our own but she was angry and said NO and that was that.  My SIL, AIL and I were pissed.  So we started walking back towards the truck and who do you think decides to lag behind and be a slow poke?  That’s right, my MIL who is in such a big hurry to get out of there.  Grrrr….  And all the while we can hear her mouth flapping and bithcing about everything behind us.  The three of us were at a breaking point by then and my MIL has no clue how close she came to getting blasted with both barrels from all of us for her behavior.  And for my SIL to get to that point is really something because she usually is the defender of her Mom and never sees the crap she pulls but she was seeing her in all her glory and was really ticked at her. 

We get back to the truck, get loaded and get heading back to their house.  My MIL’s mouth never stopped the entire ride back.  See, the plan was that we were all going out to this semi-fancy supper club for drinks that night.  It’s something that DH’s aunt/uncle do every Friday night.  And apparently my MIL, unbenounced to anyone else, had her own timeline and expected to be there by 5 to start drinking herself into oblivion.  So this was why she was being such a bitch.  On the way back my AIL, who was driving, suddenly turned off on this side street and pulled the truck over.  At first none of us could figure out what was happening, we thought she had forgot something, or had gotten fed up with my MIL or something.  And suddenly she starts talking kind of strange, and started backing up the truck trying to back into this driveway of this old abandoned house.  Then I realized that she was having one of her little seizures.  They only last a matter of seconds but it’s different when you are seeing it for the first time.  As quickly as she went into one she was out of it and we were on our way again like nothing had happened.  Meanwhile, while this is happening my MIL never stopped yelling and screaming at her "what are you doing?"  "where are you going?"  etc, etc, etc.  We got back to the house, unloaded our stuff and went in.  The three of us went downstairs where my DH and kids were playing Wii and told him that we apologized in advance but if we went crazy on his mother that he was not to get inbetween us because he had NO idea what we had been put through all day.  I asked my AIL if she had a seizure and she said yes.  Later on my MIL comes downstairs by my SIL and I and went postal on us about the fact that G had a seizure.  She was honest to God angry at her for having a seizure!  As if the poor woman WANTS to have them or MAKES herself have them for God’s sake.  We told her to chill out and let it go it was no big deal.  She was still steamed.  Then she gets on the phone to DH’s uncle, G’s hubby, and goes off on him about how we can’t have this surprise party thing for G that night becuase "they" (referring to the rest of us obviously) insisted on getting a cake for Grandma for her birthday and she was NOT going to allow us to have TWO cakes in one day.  It just wasn’t happening.  And do you know why?  Because my MIL has NO self control which became evident to everyone throughout the duraction of our stay there.  So when she got disconnected she made me call him and get it settled because she was so steamed she NEEDED this to be taken care of immediately.  Whatever.  So we got that resolved and she left the room and left my SIL and I to sit in awe at her insanity.

Went out for drinks on Friday night.  Dh and I had decided ahead of time that he would just stay

back at the house that night with the kids.  For one, he doesn’t drink and he HATES smokey bars and 2) we didnt’ feel that it was an appropriate place to have the kids just ‘hang out’ at while everyone else got blitzed.  But my MIL threw fits until we said ok we’ll take them but we’ll leave early.  She was not pleased.  They went, we stayed behind, and we got a phone call saying it was packed so we should wait a while until they called us to let us know when to come.  We finally got the call around 8-8:30 I think and we headed over.  Only stayed a little while and went back to the house, like we said.  Got back and my SIL and decided to head back to the bar becuase our uncle wanted us to come back.  Went back, they stayed until probably at least 11 or so before they decided to head out.  By thtat time they were BLASTED beyond compare.  They heded out and and two fo the bartenders from this bar invited my SIL and I out to antoher bar with them.  One was this super cute guy and the other was one of the owners of the supper club.  So we debated it and finally decided to go.  The guy wanted to know if he could ride with us, we turned to look and there he stood near our car in his boxer briefs!  We were taken aback to say the least.  lol  We looked the other way to where the girl was talking and she was changing her clothes in the parking lot as well.  It was….interesting I guess.  lol  Then the guy said he had to pee and wandered off just a little bit and went, right there in front of us.  We were laughing and wondering what we were getting ourselves into at that piont!  lol  But we went, and followed them to the bar they were going to.  The plan was that we were going to meet up with our cousin and her friends there.  Got there and she wasn’t there.  So we went to the other bar in town (yes it was a small town) and she wasn’t there either.  So we got a call and she had just got to the place we originally were at.  So we headed back.  My SIL and I walk into the bar and she discovers she left her credit card and all her cash back at the house.  All I had was my drivers’ license and credit card in my pocket.  So she asks the bartender if they accept CC.  He said they do but with a $15 minimum or something.  So she agrees to it and forks over my CC to the bartender.  Nice huh?  lol  We bought two beers (one for our cousin and one for my SIL) and a soda for me and later a round of Jagermeister shots for 6 people.  When the bill came my SIL grabs it and starts writing on the slip.  The goon put a HUGE tip on there on top of what we owed and then hands it over to me to sign and I loko to discover like a $40+ bill!  Yikes!  I told her we were in small town WI not in CA!!!!!  We ended up closing the bar and headed out of there after 2:30.  Got back and our AIL was up so we sat down and talked with her some more.  Decided to give her the necklace and earrings we had bought for her earlier in the day, which she LOVED.  We ended up staying up until 7 a.m. talking.  lol

Saturday we went shopping at a new Kohl’s that had just opened up0 in the next small town over from where we were staying.  My MIL INSISTED we go there and kept demanding it.  We get there and she starts her tricks again.  We walked past the jewelry counter and my AIL, SIL stopped to look so I just kind of hung back with them.  My MIL started bitchign about us always havign to stop at jewelry and went on to prove her point of how she ‘junk’ jewelry is just as good for her and continues on to pick out the gawdiest things ever.  Whatever.  She kept going "come on, let’s go" and I just looked at her and told her "go ahead if you want to go.  You know, we dont’ have to be attached at the hip to you to shop, we can do our own thing".  She ‘hmmpfffed’ and went stomping off shooting daggars in my direction.  But I don’t care, I got tired of her stupidness.  So SIL and I headed off to get some new sunglasses for her, check on some new bedding she was looking for, and whatever else.  Wasn’t long that her phone rings and I said "I bet you Mom is calling from the other side of the store".  Sure enough.  She was angry that my SIL and I had went and checked out the bedding without her and DEMANDED we meet up with her so SHE could look at it with her.  Crazy.  So we did, and after she was done with that she was ready to go.  So we went to the check out and they checked out.  And do you know what her and her sister ended up buying?  We call them boob shirts.  lol  See they both got boob jobs a few years back and they LOVE to show them off so they wear clothes entirely to small for them to show them off and way to young for a 54 and 60 yo woman.  So they bought some more of those.    We all HATE how they dress but telling them that falls on deaf ears so we just give up.  We walk out into the parking lot and my MIL looks at me and says "didn[t you buy anything?"  I looked at her and said "no, we didn’t have enough time for anyone else to shop0 but you"  and got into the truck.  If the shopping wasn’t her idea or for her no one was allowed to shop for themselves.  Besides, she makes these side comments all the time about how HER son works to support our family while I sit at home and do nothing, blah, blah, blah.  So there was NO way I was going to spend HER sons’s money, that would only be like adding fuel to a fire. 

We leave, get back to the house and everyone gets ready to go out for dinner at the supper club that night.  Thankfully my MIL must have listended a tiny bit and decided to dress somewhat hum,an like.  She wanted to wear her new boob shirt but I told her outright it wasn’t appropriate to wear to a supper club and she should wear something more covered up and appropriate.  And she did, surpringly.  Went to dinner where I had THE most DELICIOUS duck soup and breadsticks.  Followed up by the most amazing prime rib dinner I’ve eaten.  It was like melted butter and absolutely wonderful.  Like I said, teh ngiht before we were supposed to have a cake at the supper club as a surprise for my AIL as a thank you for her taking care of her MIL.  But plans got changed, thanks to mIL, so we planned it for Saturday  night.  We got done with dinner and were having a hard time getting the staff to bring out the dessert we had ordered as a surprise.  My AIL went down to have a smoke and we had to have them send her back up.  My MIL and her sister had bought like a $20 bottle of Tequila Rose for our aunt becuase that’s like her drink of choice.  And we each had cards for her as well.  All of the other cards were ones that my MIL had brought for everyone to give and they were all stupid joke ty0pe ones, totally inappropriate for a thank you gift.  I had my own and it was the only one that had any meaning behind it.  She was surprised and enjoyed it all.  And she never said a word to any of them that we had given her the necklace and earrings, she said it was none of their business after she found out that my MIL

wanted to hone in the gifts I bought for Grandma by putting her name on it but not putting any money into it.  So it’s like our little secret.  lol

We didn’t stay up quite as late Saturday night becuase my SIL had to get up early to head back to the airport to fly back home.  Our other AIL decided to try and fly out then too so she went along.  She works for Delta and nevers buys a ticket but always flies stand by so she went along to TRY and get on a flight.  She got out on the 2nd flight of the day, my SIL got delayed for about an hour but got out pretty easily and made it back home safely.  

My inlaws left in Monday morning around 9 to head to the airport.  Got there by 9:30 for a 11:30 flight.  We never heard from them so we figured it was all good.  DH and I headed out around 10:30 or so to head back home.  Took our time, stopped at WI Dells for lunch at Cracker Barrel.  And then we hit the Tanger Outlet Mall there.  The only one who scored on that trip was Dh, he got a ton of new shirts for work.  We left there after 4 to head back home.  The kids both slept from there back home, which was like an hour and a half.  So it wa snice to have quiet time and talk with DH, mad ethe drive go by faster.  Got home, unloaded, and just hung out for the rest of the night. 

Later on that night we got a phone call from DH’s aunt.  She wanted to know if we had heard from anyone yet.  I said no, and she laughed.  Apparently she had just gotten a call from my inlaws.  Apparently at 11:15 when they were getting ready to board my MIL/FIL’s flight got cancelled.  lol  So they ended up getting on a shuttle and driven to Chicago (a good hour and a half or more away) to the airport there.  I dont know what time they actually got a flight out of there but they were supposed to have been back in Charlotte by 2 p.m. and they didn’t get in until 9 or so that night.  So we all got a good laugh out of that.  Especially with the way my MIL had acted the entire trip and how the night before she had bragged about flights and getting cancelled and what not.  It just seemed like a fitting end to the weekend.

Then Tuesday at 5:15 I got up and ready, grabbed J out of his bed and we were out of the house by 5:30 so we could be checked in at the hospital by 6 for his surgery.  That went well.  Only took 15 minutes in the OR before the surgeon came out to tell me he did great and was in recovery.  They intended to only do the lower frenulum under his tongue but discovered once in there that the one between the upper lip and teetch was super tight so they took care of that too.  That should help with how his adult teeth come in, shouldn’t have a huge gap between them like he does now.  For a surgery that only took 15 minutes I ende dup  dealing with a combative, angry little boy for 45 minutes afterwards as he totally came out of the anesthesia.  Not fun.  We left he hospital by 8, were home by 8:30 and the fun began.  DH was of very little help.  And he was supposed to be off of work on Wednesday too but he hightailed it out of here and headed to work early in the day.  Booger.  And then proceeded to work until after 7 last night and came home grumpier than all get out.  Grrrr….. 

J is doing ok.  He’s been eating.  But he’s struggling with drinking yet.  He’s been refusing the bottle, which we expected because that’s what K did too.  So we are trying new alternatives out to see what works for him.  He goes in next Tuesday for his 18 month check up and then on Thursday he goes in for his post surgical followup appt.  

 

Oh, and my little man is now walking.  He had been talking a step here and there but nothing consistent.  Then all of sudden when we arrived at DH’s aunt/uncle’s house J decided it was time to walk and never sat down the rest of the time there.  So now we are adjusting to having a new little walker in our house that can’t be kept contained no matter what we try.  It’s an adventure! 

 

So that’s what’s been up in my world lately.  This weekend is a free weekend before we have other plans that will take us away from home again.  So I’m looking forward to the down time for a change.