Me, too, please! Email’s featherlou@yahoo.com.
Thinking about it, if any other Dopers are anticipating a very lean Christmas this year, drop me a line, too. I can send more than one Christmas card (at this point, they’ll be Ukranian Christmas cards, but what the heck? 
)
featherlou - Do Ukranian Christmas cards look like Ukranian Easter eggs?
StG
I’d like an email too - I got a bonus yesterday and I would feel MUCH better if I could do a little something too. “Tis the season” and all that %&@#.
That’s because while you keep hearing people say she is “selfish”, no one has said it.
Please send your address to timd_da@hotmail.com. I’m sorry nothing can reach you by Christmas day.
Luckly I know a Ukranian. They’re mostly Eastern Orthodox in the Ukranian so you have a bit of time to send them out yet. When depends on where the church is, but it’s in January.
Actually, several people have told her she lacks the emotional perspective to be happy watching children open up plastic gee-gaws (including you) while she worries about a food bill! A food bill! Man, I’m a harsh bitch and a libertarian to boot, but even I’m not going to lean back, swirl the brandy in the snifter and tell someone who worries about buying food she’s emotionally immature because watching kids who already have other people to take care of them open presents on Xmas morning when she’s friendless and broke (for the moment), might be the slightest bit demoralising.
Maybe her parents don’t even know how broke she is, but she told us and the fact that people are still telling her she’s immature and selfish and kids need $50 or more for each present and not even $5-10 can be shaved off so she can get like a gift card to a grocery store is…breathtaking.
Am I the only one who thinks that is crazy???
NO.
No, you’re not crazy. I couldn’t agree with you more.
Post 72, actually, but I think i know what you meant.
I think (hope?) that most people can see things from the OPs perspective, once they take a minute to step out of their own shoes, but I can see why its hard for some of the parents here to see it from her perspective. I think when you have a family that always tries to look out for everyone else, then you want to believe that just having a family means that everyone will get taken care of emotionally. And its hard to imagine someone feeling left out when they have parents and siblings around who love them. So its easier to just ascribe that to a character flaw than to see the reality, which is that sometimes, people** do inconsiderate things, even to the people they love. And sometimes people don’t realize they’re being inconsiderate because they’re so focused on babies/spouses/pets/church (or they realize and don’t care), but it doesn’t change the fact that its inconsiderate. And if that last sentence didn’t make any sense to (general) you, then I think it means that your family treats you pretty well.
**thats the general “people”
Oh, and Aunt Flow, write me too! Thru profile, or, if that doesn’t work, sonwax at hotmail. Are you sure you can’t come to my New Years party? I only have one person who’s said yes so far.
Maybe a little.
I probably should have been more specific - by the time they get there, they’ll be Orthodox Christmas cards. I come from Saskatoon which has a large Ukranian population, so I’m just used to calling it Ukranian Christmas.
You know, those of us who are interested could probably get online giftcards for Target (always a useful store) or local grocery store chains.
StG
Wait a minute. First, the whole conversation with mom took place while they were dining out. Dining out is a luxury. (FYI, when my kids were under 5 we ate out once a year, and not with the kids. And the year I didn’t get anything for Christmas? I made about $3000 that year.) Mom is not letting Aunt Flow starve.
Second, selfish is not the same word as immature. I’m sure there are plenty who think I’m selfish, but no one has ever hinted at my being immature. That is why we have two different words. Granted neither are nice. My point has always been that one big reason kids like gifts more than adults, because kids are more immature than adults. Of course, grandma is buying toys and crap for the kids.
Nice rant about an attitude no one has taken.
Reread the Op, and the thread. Your histronics are somehow both insulting and funny. Mom even gave her money to shop for the kids. Mom knows better than any of us how much money Aunt Flow has. Mom is making a nice Christmas dinner. The gift opening occurs in the house of one of the brothers who has kids. Of course, the kids are the focus. No one has said mom needs $50 or more for each present. I threw out a number of $50 per kid, and I think I showed how little it buys.
I got a life to lead, so I think I’m done posting here. Merry Christmas.
Good idea, but I think I’ll give my gift solo.
Especially since the quantity of gift’s was more relevant than the price.
Plus, it would have taken time to coordinate everything, and whatever it was would almost certainly not have arrived on time.
Aunt Flow – please send me an email, too. My email is in my profile. This is my first post to the thread, but I’ve been following it and would like to send you a Christmas greeting (although it will be more like a New Year’s greeting at this point.)
Aunt Flow – Pleeeease tell us you got a present after all.