Shopping With In-laws

I'm waiting on my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to get here for a shopping trip today. It all began when I talked to my MIL on the phone a couple days ago. I called to let her know I wouldn't be coming down to her office to deliver an order, because both the kids were home sick. We talked about this and that, her mentioning buying some scrapbook stuff, and me saying all I could be buying right now was clothes for the kids. Both of them have grown a lot lately, and few of their warm weather clothes fit. That's not a good thing when we have a beach vacation coming up in exactly four weeks today. With only one more payday between now and then, clothing my children is high on the priority list of expenses. Scrapbook stuff is not.

It wasn't like I was divulging my financial portfolio to my mother-in-law. I just said it in passing, "No scrapbook stuff for me. The kids need clothes." I should have known better. I should have known that my mother-in-law, as always, would offer to buy them clothes. While still on the phone, she went to the JCPenney website and looked up some different things for the kids, asking if I would like her to order this or that. "No, no, no!" I protested, "I didn't say that, so you would buy them clothes!" She said she knew that and continued to ask what I wanted. I continued to protest.

There are many reasons why I protested so profusely and why I have resolved never to tell my MIL that we need anything ever again. I don't mind that she buys us stuff. What I do mind is the family politics involved. It's too complicated to really explain fully without taking an entire afternoon. To put it simply, I want to be independent as a family--emotionally, physically, and financially. Having my MIL buy things we need for us makes me feel dependent, and I don't like that. There are other reasons too, but that's the main one.

So why am I still going shopping with her this morning? Well, she said she would call my sister-in-law and take both of us shopping for clothes for all the grandkids. I wasn't looking to do that either, but she was set on it, and I didn't feel like being an ungrateful bitch. She really wanted to do this. It had become clear. So I let her go. Now I'm waiting for them to pick me up, so she can buy all our kids clothes.

They should be here soon, but I was expecting to be gone at least a half hour ago. My SIL talked yesterday about the driving situation. Our MIL doesn't drive, so it would have to be one or both of us who did the driving. Taking two cars to the same places seemed unreasonable, so we decided to ride together and went back and forth for at least fifteen minutes, claiming neither of us cared who drove. Even after hanging up, we still hadn't made solid plans for driving and didn't until almost 10:00 that night. I need to be more decisive. I also should have volunteered to drive, so we would be out of here by now.

I got my ass up at 8:30 after waking up at 8:00. I needed a shower, so I had to get up early to be ready by the 9-9:30 time planned. Had I been up later, they would have surely been here right on time. That's the only real reason I'm peeved about the lateness. I had to get up early on a weekend, and I really wanted to sleep in today. Having two kids sick at home for the last two days wore me out. I suppose my journal benefits, but I still would have rather slept.

It should be a nice day. I do enjoy going out with my MIL and SIL most of the time, especially when no kids or other people are involved. Those factors always seem to stir the pot and get feelings stepped on and tempers riled, including mine. That's part of the reason I'm not so looking forward to vacation this year. That and the fact that I can't seem to lose another pound for the past four weeks. But that's another entry, and I am hoping I don't have time for that right now.