Only 10 days til Christmas? I've only bought a gift for my boyfriend so far ...

• Christmas, not ready! - Carol
  • You think the 25th - has come early?
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  • Only 10 days til Christmas? I've only bought a gift for my boyfriend so far ... - What??
    • hope you put - safety first
      • What?????? I really don't get this. nm - mtmomof2

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for this year, and it was a big one.  My son has been wanting a Playstation 3 since they came out, which I think was last year.  They were $500 last year, and luckily he didn't push the issue cause that was out of the ballpark.  Well I saved a little this year so I could buy him this gift for Christmas this year.  He says that is what he wants.  They are now $400 this year.  I saved and saved and I had the money put back to get it.  So I gave my mom the money yesterday, and when she went to Walmart this morning, she bought it.  I am so relieved because this is a major portion of Christmas bought.  I only have the one son.  No more children.  I am so glad I was able to get this for him this year and so glad I already have it bought and put away for Christmas. 

Has anyone else started on their Christmas yet? 

Our family has always picked names for Christmas and bought only for that person.  The limit is supposed to be $25. You know how hard it is to just spend $25 especially on someone that basically has everything.  In the past this had just included the adults in their 40s and 50s.  Of course one felt obligated to buy the teenagers and younger children something. I'm single with no kids.  Last year I spent close to $200 on Christmas.  I really couldn't afford it last year, absolutely cannot afford that this year. 

This year my SIL presented the idea of a low cost gift or gift card (my mother hates gift cards) and playing the game of picking a number, then picking a gift, etc.  Well my other brother and his wife, who are well off, and my mother decided they didn't want to do that and also now want to include the teenagers and young adults (20s) in the gift exchange.  I told my mom I don't want to participate.  I can't afford it.  "Its only $25 they say.  Aren't you making any money?" Well its never "just" $25 and what can I buy a teenager that has everything for $25?  They turned up their noses on the small gifts I gave them in the past. I also don't want others to spend more than $25 on me when I could only afford $25.  I already feel inferior about my financial status in comparison to my siblings and I feel the best thing for me is to not participate.  What's the problem?    I really loathe Christmas anymore.  No one really appreciates any gifts they are given and I don't want to participate anymore. I guess I'm antisocial. Why can't we just have a family dinner and forget about the gifts?     Thanks for letting me vent. 

There is a little spa near us that has gift certificates for massages, aroma therapy, etc  and had thought about getting my daughters each one as a Christmas gift.  Thought they could go together as they are good friends as well as sisters.  I am a bit of a country bumpkin myself and know nothing about these things.  Anyone tell me a little about what they might expect?  One daughter is pretty easy going, the other is a little more conservative.  I understand sheets covering the body, just wanted to make sure the massage is confined to extremities and back, nothing too personal.  TIA 

You have to go through a little evaluation with your animal, but they have cat days and dog days and you can bring your pets.  Walter is a huge patient sweetie - 120 pounds of shiny black fur and muscle - he is quite young and very solid and built.  Some of the residents love him so much.  He will just slowly walk up to someone he feels might be receptive to him, and when they put their hand out he gets under it and next thing you know he has his big head in their lab and they are slowly petting him, over and over and over.  It is so heartwarming when you are watching.... I mean literally your heart is so full you can feel it in your throat.  I've had to hide my tears every time. 

Sometimes a resident, usually a gentleman, will talk about a dog he used to have with the clearest memory. 

A funny thing happened when Walter was getting some attention from a women in a wheelchair and he leaned against her and I saw her wheelchair was slowly being pushed across the lawn. 

I can almost never finish a sentence.  Doesn't matter what I'm saying, or when, or where, I get cut off.  If I manage to string 2 or 3 short sentences together he is already off in dreamland and either cuts me off to go to a topic he likes or else he just isn't listening.  As a result of all this he doesn't hear the sometimes-critical information that I provide.

I've tried just not saying anything when he does this, just clamming up and thinking he will ask me to repeat what I said....but he doesn't.  He doesn't even notice!!

I have also gotten testy, weepy and upset and at times even-tempered and sincere in asking him to please let me finish my sentences but I don't get very far because...you guessed it....he doesn't let me finish that request....

Any other ideas?  I know there must be other women/men with this problem from their spouses/significant others.

a woman in her 20s. Always looking, always bragging, always wanting. What a joke.  I met many guys in their 50s trying to find woman in their 20s and 30s. I guess anyone can dream. 

which we all know can come and go. You are his mother, it doesn't matter if you all live together, you should be the one deciding and planning things with the teacer. Until he is the stepfather or has adopted him, he should have little to no input about child rearing. Is this the person who will be responsible for your children if God forbid anything should happen to you? If so, then by all means he should be more involved. Hate to be blunt, but this relationship could always end. You're the mom, he is a person who lives in the house.

He gets *heart flapitations* and I thought it was so adorable I've never corrected him.  Don't worry, this is during moments of *ahem* intense exercise; he does not need medical attention! 

Okay, please tell me I am wrong -

Today I went to my son's school for a parent/teacher conference.  My boyfriend went on Monday to pick up his report card, as my son, daughter, and I were out of state at a funeral.  My son did not do well at all this marking period and it is basically due to his laziness.  Well, evidently, on Monday the teacher and the boyfriend had a lengthy discussion and came up with the punishment and the plan for the next 9 weeks of school.  I was informed of his report card via phone call Monday night and told we needed to be there for a conference on Thursday - nope, no conference requested until now, so I mistakenly assumed he was okay in school. 

Okay, go to the conference with boyfriend and from the start I can tell I am really not part of the plan by the seating arrangements.  My son is at the front, they AR on each side of him and I am somewhere towards the back.  Boyfriend takes control and the teacher pretty much turns all conversation to him and son.  I try to intervene on several occasions and sort of get lost by THEIR dialogue.  THEY decide that whenever there is a problem she will call boyfriend and let him know and then refers to both of us as "parental units" and I sort of start seething now.  I try over and over to be heard and ask questions, all the time pretty mmuch brushed to the back burner. 

Fast forward a bit - the teacher walk out of the room and I follow her and tell her that I am NOT a "parental unit" but his mother and that all and any conversations about my son's welfare will be had with me and to only call me.  She looked at me like she was baffled 

I know that I gave the boyfriend too much rope there (we do all live together) in the first place, but all I expected him to do was pick up the report card, not decide his life and the teacher never called me previously to tell me there was a problem in the first place, so why would I think any different  Please advise me on this because I feel like dirt right now.

TIA!!!