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The Day After...aka Oxygen Please! Thanksgiving Day Chronical

CLove's picture

Thanksgiving wasnt too bad, and now I am basking in the glow of having seen my niece and nephew for 2.5 hours. The food was good too!

We had the split Thanksgiving this year due to my brother and his family plus FIL and MIL coming down from 2.5 hours away.

I had been asking DH when would Powersulk SD17 be coming over from her mothers house and what was going on with Feral Forger SD24, for the week preceeding so I could plan accordingly. His family was going to have a really small gathering in the early afternoon and ours was scheduled for 4pm. But no pressure, right?

Hahah right. So we get down to the wire at 10 am and Im showered and calmly primping, and DH sets off to pick up Powersulk. They get to the house, shes showered and dressed and just wants to do a little make up. Sounds good. Then at about 12:00 DH is getting notification that Feral Forgers friend, erm RIDE (because at 24 still no license and therefore no car) bailed at the last minute and for some reaso its up to him to figure it out. Barnical Buddy who has asked to come to dinner because no one invited him anywhere and no Gf or family, has been requisitioned to do pick up on the way.

We get there and people are either watching tv or prepping food quickly. Feral Forger arrives soon after and shes dressed in her "Velma outfit" of black and white plaid dress with white turtle neck and her gum piercings glinting silver. She proceeds to greet everyone in this lound, nasally, totally irritating way. Except of course myself and her sister. FF works the room like a semi-pro, talking and chatting about, well, herself, because doesnt everyone want to KNOW ALL ABOUT HER. Except its all fake and for show.

When the meal is ready and we all drift in different directions, DH and I go to a nice large dining table in his sisters nice large beautiful dining room. The empty place by me is blocked. FF sits at the other end, next to cousins and PS is next to sister (ugh I do feel for her). The conversation drifts around, and while it is still the ALL ABOUT FERAL FORGER SHOW, the cousins act somewhat interested in powersulk.

cousins: so powersulk are you now a senior in high school and where do you go?

Feral Forger: I went to North BLahBlah High and there were SO many more kids. And luckily I was one of the first wasnt I dad (yeah, dad and I were on the freaking benches for 4 hours in the hot sun no water and I got docked in my pay half day, and no thank you at all). But there were SO many kids that day waiting ahead of me...blahblahblah.

Cousins: So powersulk youve been doing more art, what kind (she shows them a sweet painting of koi fish shes been working on)

Feral Forger: I want to go back to school and become an ART TEACHER. What kind of art? Oh just art for the kids. Its all about the kids.

Then, drumroll...cousins ask DH about fishing...

Feral Forger: Dad I want to go fishing with you, take me FISHING! HAHA remember when you used to take me fishing with you and so and so? (ended when she was about 11-12) I want to go on your boat (thats half my boat hahahah)

AFter that it was just myself and powersulk at a table overlooking their giant yard, the sun streaming in and just quietly hanging out, that was nice. Until (insert scary violins) Feral Forger saunters over. "hi Clove, you look nice" as her eyes are bugging out and her silver smile gleams. I smile in a spacey ethereal kind of way, "hi, likewise to you". And we are off to the next dinner, dropping PowerSulk off to her mothers where she will be joining with her friends later.

My family, well the kids were fun and sugared up and it was a buffet. After dinner, someone from another table came up to say how great the kids were behaving and we just had to laugh because they were so high off of the multiple packets of sugar piled on oranges and lemons that they couldnt see straight. But, yes, the kids are really sweet and funny. I had a really enjoyable time with them over the holiday weekend and memories were made and captured on iphones.

All in all I am really happy its over. Im relaxing over coffee into late morning, husband is off crabbing in the bay area, and no dramas occurred. But as they say..."Christmas is coming..."

 

 

Comments

Rumplestiltskin's picture

Your DH sounds a lot like my SO. Head in the sand about his kids, prefers to hide away doing his hobby (fishing for yours, pool for mine.) I don't have any advice except that if your case is like mine, don't take those girls' behavior personally. You didn't cause their problems and there's nothing you can do or say to fix them. I hope you continue to disengage. Any attempts to help or even talk about their problems will be unappreciated and will probably just end up with everyone mad at you. I've learned that the hard way. 

CLove's picture

powersulk did mention her sister, dominating every conversation, and I did mention the energy suckage. powersulk feels that her family has no interest in her at all, in getting to know her as a person, and that if she has to fight for attention that she will just disengage.

Ive seen people who are skilled in conversations, when someone is particularly dominating, redirecting and gently persevering. Like sauntering over when the dominator is not around or busy with impressing someone else, and trying to connect.

I see whats happening, I have oodles of sympathy and empathy, but I always have to remind myself, that Powersulk doesnt consider me. Like as in not at all more than dads wife. For example, she wasnt wanting to see photos of my niece and nephew, it was all about texting her friends. She complained that the first dinner was really fast, not really considering that it was her father that made the choice to go with me, that it was time with my family. She doesnt consider that at all, and like you said its "nothing personal". Because if it was personal she would consider me.

Rumplestiltskin's picture

Most kids that age are pretty self-absorbed. Kids raised by dysfunctional parents take it to a new level. 

JRI's picture

I'd call that a successful day in Stepland.  You were with your DH and he was able to be with his kids and family for awhile.  You got out of his family dinner and the girls without any upset.  The girls were polite enough.  Now relax and hope for a similar Christmas.

CLove's picture

It was good and now I can rest and do what I want. Im not going to over analyse anything...too much...

Elea's picture

So what exactly have these people done to deserve you? Happy you made it thru.
I am happy to say that YSD23 did NOT crash our Thanksgiving as I had feared. After hearing DH talk with his siblings about a particularly excruciating experience with her last summer, I think I may have underestimated how big an impact it had on DH to spend a few days ALONE with Diabla last summer. I think he really saw how unnecessarily demanding she is, and I mean really saw. She is probably angry at not being the princess Diabla anymore. At 23 DH is finally expecting her to act like an adult and stop being a whiny brat.

CLove's picture

Yeah I think Princess Stealyourmoney just wants to make those connections so she has new people to use for whatever. Her fathers tired of the moving her and cleaning up after her. Its weird to see her spending effort to connect with rast of family, but not her father, unless she needs him for something.

Rumplestiltskin's picture

"At 23 DH is finally expecting her to act like an adult and stop being a whiny brat."

It's funny how they magically expect their kids to act like adults when they have done nothing to correct them or teach them to be adults.

CLove's picture

Magic Beans of Maturity - for anyone with kids or anyone married to someone with OPK (other persons kids).

Harry's picture

Trying to look good and nice for the gift grab coming up.  Remember that kid in Art school. Is easily then Rememering the kid who does nothing all day 

CLove's picture

The presents are always just for the younger kids. At 24 she no longer qualifies. The last Christmas she did "with the clan" was 17? And at 18 she balied and didnt show and came to our house at 3 am to pick up the gifts and cash and cards and presents. She left the cards and presents and left early the next day, with of coursse the cash.

I think shes trying to make up for lost time, and of course they will welcome her with open arms, despite all the trash talking she does about them. And I dont want to think about her stealing...lol. They will learn the hard and difficult way.