Our Ostara celebration involved going to the park today. It was chilly - more chilly than I would have preferred for a walk, but we all needed out of the house, and Acorn loved the swings.
Our walk was marred, however, by a call from Acorn's grandparents (Big Oak's parents, not mine).
We used to have a good relationship, really. I used to like hanging out with them. Over the years, however, their outspokenness about the fact that we "owed" them grandchildren (in the midst of fertility treatments, no less) has taken its toll. Add to that the fact that they were miffed that we wanted to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Acorn when he was in the NICU, and you've got the perfect storm of in-law insanity.
Big Oak had taken it upon himself (initiative? who is this, and where is my husband?) to call them a week or so back to discuss what the plans were. We know from experience that they will decide at the last minute what the plan is, and what exactly they want us to bring - the first year we were married, they told us on Monday of Thanksgiving week that they wanted pumpkin pie....and I was in another *state* until late Wednesday evening. Where do you find pumpkin pie at 9 pm the night before Thanksgiving - in fact, where do you find *pie crusts* then?
Grandpa had said that Great-Grandma wanted to go out for Easter dinner. It was agreed that they would talk it over, and get back to us with a plan.
Apparently today they decided to get back to us, since they were visiting Great-Grandma, and sitting around, it occurred to them that they ought to talk about it. We said, ok, what did you decide we're doing, and they basically said they thought they were waiting for us to decide.
?
So, after a bit of back and forth, it was agreed that they'd come to our house. Not that I want to have everything cleaned up for their arrival, but we've been to tetheir house the last several get-togethers, and it's an hour drive out there, plus getting all of Acorn's gear into our car, out of the car into great-grandma's house, down into her basement, and back again.
Then grandpa says, "not to put you on the spot, but what should we bring"
So wait. You've just decided you're crashing my house, for a holiday we don't even celebrate, and you think I'm going to pull a menu out of thin air?
At any rate. We're supposed to call back later this week with requests. I'd already said that I wanted to make Peep Salad. We've been discussing what to ask them to bring - bread? well, we make our own here, and it's far more tasty than the cheap brown-n-serve rolls they're likely to bring. Dessert? Dessert from them will either be something store-bought with a scary ingredients label, or something great-grandma makes with no fat and no sugar - and what kind of dessert is that?
Ah well. Maybe I'm spoiled, since in my family no one would have dared brought a store-bought side dish to a family celebration. On the other hand, I'm also glad we celebrate holidays that are important to us on our own, without their drama.
No comments:
Post a Comment