Juggling the Holidays

MissLeighAndBabyG · November 2016

How does everyone plan on juggling their holidays? How many do you plan on going to? Traveling? Shopping?

For me, this year will be the first of many crazy ones. For Thanksgiving I have two for my family, two for my exes family, and then the one for my SO's family. For Christmas, I have two for my family, four for my exes family, and two for my SO's family. It's getting real this holiday season. I am planning on trying to go to all of them but we'll have to see how everything goes- especially if I go into labor around that time!

I think I'll have to leave town for maybe 1-4 events total for both holidays, 1 for Thanksgiving (20 minutes away) and possibly 3 for Christmas (20-90 minutes away). Nothing too major thankfully!

Thanksgiving is pot luck for all of them. Sign me up to bring pie or mashed potatoes! And Christmas is just way too many people to buy for so this year I'm only buying for the kids.

I have no idea how I'm going to juggle multiple events on the same day, I guess we'll be leaving early and arriving late!

ashleaf2018 · November 2016

For us we will be limiting our Thanksgiving traveling with a scheduled c section on Dec. 1, but our Christmas plans should stay about the same.

Pgh_Kel · November 2016

We are hosting Thanksgiving for both of our families and it's a potluck. Hopefully that makes it easier for me than traveling to 3 different places all day. Everyone is willing to pitch in (cooking/cleaning/etc) so I think we should be fine.

No set plans for Christmas since my due date is 12/22, I will be totally winging it by then.

Shopping/decorating will be done according to how I feel. I'll do as much online shopping as I can, but the decorating will be left to my FI. I don't care enough about that this year to make it a priority!

phoenix870509 · November 2016

Thanksgiving will be at my parents house. Christmas Eve we will host DH'S parents and sisters at our house so we don't have to travel. Christmas Day will also be at my parents house. Squish can come whenever, we'll just work around it.

penelope4612 · November 2016

I am due 12/1 so Thanksgiving is more of a concern for me than Christmas. We are celebrating both holidays at my brothers house bc he is only 30 mins away. We usually go further for Thanksgiving but I told everyone pretty early that that would not be an option for me this year and everyone has been fairly reasonable about it.

DHs family is farther away but we did Thanksgiving with them last year and they are Jewish so they don't celebrate Christmas. So it should all work out ok.

Channytee · November 2016

My mom and dad aren't in the picture so we only have one Christmas to go to, DHs parents for lunch (I'm in Canada so we already had our thanksgiving). My grandmother is flying back from Florida when the baby is born and will be staying with us until the day after Christmas. Which will be super nice because DH won't have to take too much time off work and I can still have a helping hand. So we plan to do Christmas morning how I used to when I was a kid. Stockings and coffee, put our traditional Christmas breakfast in the oven, presents, and then eat breakfast. DHs family nicely invited my grandma for Christmas lunch as well. DH is Italian so after lunch we will not be needing dinner (6 course lunch).

I have a feeling I'm going to be a crying wreck this Christmas because I can't believe I'm going to have my own baby girl here! I had a rough upbringing and With Christmas being pretty much my favourite time of the year it's a given. I'm so excited to start my own family traditions and just give our baby girl and future children what I never had.

DiFazette · November 2016

Cesarian scheduled for 11/22 if we make it that far and my family is doing thanksgiving at my house. Parents live a few hours away but they're staying to take care of DS while we're in the hospital and brother lives in an apartment so not really enough room. I don't think I'll get home for Thanksgiving but My H is relieved it's at our house so he can quickly swing in and out between our house and the hospital as necessary. (H's family is about 11 hours away so it's just my familythis year). I think we're planning on hosting Christmas as well. We'll have so much stuff to lug around with two babies and a toddler...

cgss11 · November 2016

I'm due 12/12. No change to Thanksgiving plans. I'm hosting it at my house. It's a small group (always is).

My parents and MIL will be here for Christmas, but there's no real plans. Since they are from out of town, every Christmas looks different. Everyone is pretty laid back though, so no real expectations. My brother also lives here and has small kids so I imagine my parents will want to watch them open gifts Christmas morning. We may or may not go over for a little bit, they will have a house full of visitors so we'll just play it by ear.

So basically, it's a normal Christmas for us.

princesslockness · November 2016

Last year L was only 3 months at Thanksgiving and we were able to manage our regular 6 parties for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This year I will hopefully have a RCS scheduled for Thanksgiving week, if E hasnt come already, so nothing is happening for Turkey day. No one is coming, and we wont be going, unless E shows up this week.

For Christmas everything is up in the air. MIL and SFIL got divorced, but if we could we'd have picked SFIL in the breakup. . . So no idea what we will do about that.

FIL is in timeout for boundary stomping so if he his head on straight, we will see him.

My family is really laid back, and don't typically do anything.

karmba · November 2016

This year we'll be home alone as a family of 2 for Thanksgiving and a family of 3 for Christmas. I'm looking forward to it! Next year I think we'll host Thanksgiving for my immediate family and DH's immediate family (12 & 8 hours away by car). And we'll go back to our week-long Christmas road trip. We go to DH's grandparents for one night (6 hours from our house), then to his parent's house for two nights (2 more hours), then to my parents house for two nights (5 hours), then to my grandparents house for 1 or 2 nights (2 hours), then back to my parents for a night (2 hours), then head to DH's uncle's house for a night (6/7 hours back towards our house) then drive the rest of the way home (8ish hours). It's totally doable and actually kind of fun when it's just us and the dog. With a one year old....it'll be more of an adventure. But we want to at least try it once before trying to figure something else out. It's a lot of driving, but it's never more than one house a day, which is great because we get to visit with everyone and never feel rushed.

gardengirl3 · November 2016

I will be having a RCS on 12/9, so Thanksgiving will be as normal. I have already told our families that we won't be going to any Christmas parties this year, as I will still be recovering. Kinda looking forward to a relaxed, no expectations Christmas actually.

Kacie209 · November 2016

Staying in town for Thanksgiving. My mom has already said that she'll host something Thanksgiving early afternoon, as my parents, sister and her fiance will be going to see my grandparents Friday-Sunday. My parents and I live in the same city, my sister and her fiance will be driving home. I am staying put, just in case something happens. Although, my Grandpa thinks I should come cos they have hospitals there. *lol*

I am not sure what DH's family is doing, or what they really do. I'll admit, DH and I have never celebrated Thanksgiving together in the 5 years we've been together (6 total, but we actually met the day before Thanksgiving 2010 - married for 2 now). He always works Black Friday and I always take it off, which allows me to travel to see family. But, I am pretty sure his parents will be over at his sister's place, as they have usually done and also live in the same city as us... and will probably invite other family (like an annoying uncle and aunt) over, too.

In a perfect world, we'll go eat with my family in the afternoon and do something with DH's family another night that weekend - whether it's actual Thanksgiving or not. We see them a lot more than we do my parents so I think it's only fair.

As for Christmas, nothing set in stone. It really all depends when LO is born and how ready I feel to go out in public with him, and just me in general. I don't know if my mom will go out and get my grandparents so they can see him newly born (otherwise will see in March at my sister's wedding), or if we'll go down to my in-laws Christmas Eve (45 minute drive), come back that night and do our own thing Christmas Day. I know we're "maybe's" to his Grandpa's 90th Birthday party on December 18 - which his actual birthday is on Christmas.

caffeinenut · November 2016

I am not looking forward to the holidays this year. In truth, I usually am anxious about them because of my FI’s family. We usually get along fine, and I like them okay and I think they like me. The problem is that I have spent so many years sharing holidays with my family which consists of just me, my mom, my brother, and my sister, that I get nervous and anxious with FI’s family because they are so large a family. Several aunts, uncles, cousins, as well as his parents and siblings, family friends, and even more extended family sometimes show up. And their parties, holidays or just random get togethers, tend to last hours. A typical Thanksgiving at his aunt’s house is like this: Hors d’ourvres usually start at either 12 or 1, then dinner at 6 or 7, then dessert around 9. There is no way I will be able to stay that long being only 3 weeks from my due date. Already now, I am very uncomfortable and tired and really just want to lie down and sleep. I have had a discussion with my FI about this and have basically said we will play it by ear if I even go. And if I do, we will only stay as long as I can handle it. If we have to leave early, then we leave early. I told him he could always go back after bringing me home (his aunt lives only a half hour away). His family is also Spanish (as in from Spain), so the older generations will start out speaking English with me around, but as they day/night goes on and they drink more and more, they switch to Spanish and then I’m pretty much out of the conversation. My Spanish speaking and understanding is limited, especially when they start speaking so fast. The younger generation is mostly guys, and they disappear into a cousin’s room to play video games or watch guy movies. So I am basically stuck by myself and my FI’s eleven year old autistic cousin watching cartoons.

For Christmas, we spend Christmas Eve with his family because it is a bigger celebration for them, and then spend Christmas Day with my family. Usually on Christmas Eve we go to another of his aunt’s houses. The hors d’ourvres start around 6, dinner around 9, dessert around midnight. Since my due date is Dec 13, I’ve already told my FI that I’m not planning on going to his aunt’s this Christmas. It will be too soon after giving birth (especially if she comes late) for me to be up to going out for the holiday, as well as bringing her out to a party. I feel our baby will be too young to be out in the cold, surrounded by very loud people, some of whom might have a cold. I told him if he wants to go by himself for a few hours, that’s fine, but the baby and I are staying home and quiet.

As for Christmas Day, we used to go to my Mom’s apartment (about an hour away). Last year, however, my FI and I hosted Christmas at our house. We bought this house just over a year ago, and it is basically exactly equidistant between my mom and sister and my brother and his FI. This year, I have basically told my family that we’re not having Christmas here, and that I won’t be going anywhere because I don’t feel comfortable taking the baby anywhere when she is so young. My FI mentioned something about having various members of his family pop in on Christmas to see the baby. I want to tell him hell no. If I am making my family stay away, his family has to stay away too. I’m just not sure how to do that yet without sounding like a bitch.

Sorry this is so long, but I’ve been keeping this in for about 3 weeks now, ever since people started asking us our holiday plans.

My holiday

ErikandAfton · November 2016

Going to BILS that's an hour away for Thanksgiving. Then I'm on travel restrictions after that.

I'm due 12/21 so we haven't made Christmas plans. If he comes early we will either go to my step mom's which is 20 minutes away or have something small at our house. My Dad is already telling me he will be at our house watching the baby sleep so we will see what happens.

MissLeighAndBabyG · November 2016

penelope4612 said:

I am due 12/1 so Thanksgiving is more of a concern for me than Christmas. We are celebrating both holidays at my brothers house bc he is only 30 mins away. We usually go further for Thanksgiving but I told everyone pretty early that that would not be an option for me this year and everyone has been fairly reasonable about it.

DHs family is farther away but we did Thanksgiving with them last year and they are Jewish so they don't celebrate Christmas. So it should all work out ok.

I'm also due 12/1, I'm hoping that she can come sometime in between events so I don't miss any! That being said, I really don't want to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital!

AbriannaO · November 2016

Thanksgiving we are respectfully doing our own thing. We have our dads coming this weekend to help with some big projects, then next weekend my mom is coming to help with some deep cleaning and meal prep, so I will officially be tired and over visitors, so we are keeping it low key with just the two of us. We both will be working the next day, so it is easier to not travel or to deal with house guests. The only person that has asked to get together is my MIL, but DH let her know our plans were to keep to ourselves.

We are due 12/22, so Christmas is up in the air depending on when LO arrives. I will have both of my brothers in State (one lives 15 hours away, the other lives in London), so I imagine we will be keeping busy spending time with them, in addition to every one else coming around to visit once the evacuation occurs. This is another reason why I wanted to keep Thanksgiving minimal, I want to have some rest time before the hectic middle of December begins. All family has been informed that we are unwilling to commit to anything regarding the holidays and if we can make it, great, if not, sorry.

We both have divorced parents and have lived away from family for many years. So the idea of fitting in four Christmas' or Thanksgivings is exhausting in our minds as we never traveled back for the holidays. I am sure we will continue to create our own traditions, but it will likely not center around traveling to family on the holiday itself, but more make plans with them during the holiday season and do something special with each of them separately since everyone getting together isn't going to happen.

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