Sorry ladies, had to vent. With the holiday season fast approaching I am already beginning to feel the stress. My hubbies family celebrate everything. It's all getting to be a bit much. They have b-day parties for the little ones, followed a week later by a b-dinner at a restaurant. Then there's all the baptisms & blessing throughout the year (8 so far and counting). They celebrate everything, all the kids' b-days, the adult b-days now with Christmas coming I'm getting ready to explode. Every year it's the same thing. During thanksgiving (we celebrate in October up here), someone runs for the "hat", in goes everyone's name, we all pick one and buy for that person for Christmas. I could never understand why we do this because we end up buying for everyone anyways....I learned that lesson the hard & embarrassing way one Christmas when I did just that. I bought for the person I picked. It was pretty frosty in my house that night when my husband filled me in on the real rules. You pick a name but buy for everyone anyway. I stupidly asked why we pick a name. He said it was to save money. I said how do we save money if we end up buying for everyone. He said you don't buy such a big gift for everyone else, just a nice one for the name person. I just didn't get it. I thought I was in the clear this year when no one ran for the "hat". Turkey came and went. Goodbyes were said and still no one had even mentioned Christmas. I thought maybe they had all figured out that the family is just too big for this and maybe it's time everyone enjoyed a bit of the season in their own homes. Of course, I love to see them but all this gift giving is a bit much for the pocketbook on top of all the birthdays, christenings and $20 a head dinners we attend. I learned this weekend at another of the kids b-days that they have decided this year that we should all just buy for the kids for Christmas and that it would be celebrated on boxing day at my sister in laws. OK I'm glad someone said something but one thing about this family is they never think that maybe there is another side of family that needs to be squeezed in somewhere. Years ago I gave up trying to see my own family on Christmas day. We all realized it was too stressful and ever since my mom & I have gotten together for a nice visit on boxing day. Just the two of us. Real quality time. Some of my best visits have been on this day with her. Now I'm supposed to give that up and reschedule her to another day. I tried to carefully remind my hubbie of my visit to my mom's but he just answered oh well, you do your thing and the rest of us will do ours. Ouch. Not what I really wanted to hear but I guess I'll have to live with it. My family doesn't do the get together for dinner at any time throughout the year. The only time my family is together now seems to be a wedding or a funeral sad to say. I love my husband's family but gotta admit I'm not feeling especially festive after already spending a small fortune this year on all the birthdays and dinners and now I'm an outcast if I don't give in to their new schedule. Anybody else out there feeling the holidays push me pull you's?