I Hate The Holidays - Part III

Christmas

The first Christmas was the worst. I still had delusions of being considered part of Dragon's family. So we are eating Christmas Dinner with my parents when MIL calls, Dragon's Brother and his girlfriend are at her house so we must come right over, because they cannot stay long. Never mind that we have just sat down to eat with my parents. If we don't come now we will miss BIL and BILG.

So we get over there because Dragon hasn't seen his brother in a year, as Christmas is the only holiday he shows up for. And Dragon's family's archaic ritual begins. The person who will be opening their presents sits in a "special chair" and all their presents are piled up in front of them. So SIL goes first and she gets about 25 presents including a very nice expensive present from me and Dragon that she asked for. Then it's MIL's turn and she gets some very nice gifts from everyone, Then it's BIL's turn he gets around 20 presents, Then it's BILG's turn she got 15 very nice presents including a designer outfit with matching purse and shoes and jewelry to complement the ensemble. Then Dragon gets a few presents then MIL turns to me and laughs and says we ran out of money before we got to you. It felt like a slap in the face. I mean the woman BIL has only been dating for a few months gets presents but they "forgot" their son's WIFE. And in my family you BUDGET your money to make sure you have enough to buy everyone something. You don't splurge on a few people and then ignore the rest of what is suppose to be your family. Since MIL isn't speaking to her Mother, everyone except MIL heads over to GIL's house to give her their presents.

Merry Chistmas in Hades

The next year is even worse (although I didn't think it was possible). I was prepared for the rudeness of no presents for Jade, but I wasn't prepared for SIL's stupidity. Dragon had the opportunity to buy a used computer and printer from a co-worker for SIL, who has been insisting she needs one for her schoolwork. It was more then we could afford but Dragon thought if we went in with FIL and BIL we could swing it. So Dragon asked his Dad if he wanted to do that. Dad and Step-Mom thought it was a great idea; except SIL had asked them for a typewriter and Step-Mom had already bought one with a word processor in it for her. She said she didn't have a problem returning it and giving us the money to buy the computer (which was more then their share of the computer would have been, but would cover BIL's shortfall) BUT since it was what SIL had asked them for they wanted to call and ask her first which she wanted the computer w/ printer or the typewriter. The situation was explained to SIL and she choose the typewriter. She was on a speaker phone so Dragon and I both heard her say she would rather have the typewriter then the computer.

(Side note SIL never goes to visit her Father, we are expected to pick up her gifts from FIL and Step-Mom when we go to visit them and bring them with us to MIL's)
So we get to MIL's Christmas and SIL unwraps all her presents which includes a very nice outfit with accessories from me and Dragon. She then looks at Dragon and says "WHERE IS MY COMPUTER, YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO GET ME A COMPUTER" and proceeds to throw a temper tantrum because she didn't get a computer. Dragon attempts to explain that since she told FIL she wanted the typewriter not the computer she got the typewriter. Turns out she expected a typewriter from FIL & Step-Mom and a computer from us. She then announces that she doesn't want the typewriter IF she can't have the computer too and calls FIL and Step-Mom and demands the receipt so she can take it back and Dragon can buy the computer for her (Wait a minute we have already bought her a present and she isn't mentioning giving it back to us so I can return it for the cash). So she makes Dragon PROMISE to buy her the computer and says she will give him the cash she gets back when she returns the typewriter. So DUMB Dragon feels bad for disappointing his sister and buys the demon computer with printer we can't afford, and she gives him $50 (the typewriter cost $300 according to Step-Mom) when confronted with that fact SIL admits she spent $250 on new clothes.

After all this Dragon can't afford to buy me anything or take me out for my birthday, which is after Christmas and no one understands why I am upset. Not to mention we are suppose to be saving for a HOUSE, but DRAGON's stupid Mother, Sister, and Grandmother are bleeding us dry. I HATE the holidays...........................

Which is really sad, because before I married Dragon the holidays were my favorite times of the year.