To not postpone Christmas dinner?

[Lulabellarama]

Right, I am one of 3 sisters, 2 of us have been in relationships for the last 5 plus years, and do alternate Christmases with in-laws and then all together. This year, for the first time in a long while, the other sister is also now coupled up.
This year is a year when we are all due to celebrate together.
Newly coupled up sis has now sent an email asking if we can eat later than usual as she and her bloke will be at his parents in the morning and waiting for an aunt to visit there at midday ish.
We usually eat at 4pmish. She will certainly be with us for a couple of hours before 4, but she says she doesn't want to rush present giving, and wants to be involved in food preparation. I have 2 children, one of whom is 3, and likely to be awake at the crack of dawn and running on chocolate and hysteria as the day progresses. I don't really want to make him wait until evening to eat, as I'm sure he won't appreciate it.
Also, we like to start on the booze fairly early on in the day. If we eat any later most of us will be a bit pissed, which in several cases means a lack of interest in food altogether (DH in particular doesn't have an appetite after more than 2-3 drinks).
We could obv start drinking later, start preparing food later, but I'm a bit loathed to postpone starting my Xmas day until other sister has finished her other socialising. I'm happy to do more of the preparation and keep dinner at a sensible time but this is clearly not what she wants.
Should I suck it up for the sake of avoiding arguments?

[ILiveInAPineappleCoveredInSnow]

YANBU, she will still be there a couple of hours before, so it's not like she won't be involved.

She can't have it all ways, it's great she is visiting her DP's family, and she will get lunch with you, she just has to give up on a bit of the present giving and helping to prepare. We all have to make sacrifices and we all know we can't have it all!

[honeytea]

I think 4 is an odd time for eating anyway, we eat christmas dinner at 4 and it is the only time in the year we would ever consider eating at 4.

Couldn't you give the kids some lunch and eat at 6?

As for your DH I am very of his lack of appitite after a couple of drinks, my desire for food dirty fatty food is directly proportional to how much I have had to drink.

[TrazzleMISTLEtoes]

Would it be possible to do some presents before and some after dinner so it's not too rushed?

My parents evil torturers that they were wouldn't let us open any presents until after Christmas dinner and even then we had to do them one by one, in turn.

[Sirzy]

Can you not just eat at about 5?

Surely with a 3 year old in the house you won't be getting that drunk anyway?

[VoiceofUnreason]

Surely simplest thing is to keep food at normal time, open some of the presents before sis gets there (which will keep the kids entertained) and then open sis's presents and one or two others once she gets there? No rushing, she can help with food prep, meal served at usual time.

I assume at least one of you won't be getting pissed though, to ensure the kids are OK, bearing in mind their ages?

[TrazzleMISTLEtoes]

Oh and YANBU

[Lulabellarama]

We'll all be merry, a couple will be more merry than others, but we're not going to be legless!

[ChaoticforlifenotjustChristmas]

YANBU Choices have consequences and her choices mean that she won't be as involved as usual. If she'll still be there two hours before then she can still do some of it.

[Lulabellarama]

honeytea 6 would be later than their usual dinner time, I've mentally conceded to 5pm already, but by 6 we're pretty much in the run down to bedtime, and will probably have been up for over 12 hours!

[SleighbellsRingInYourLife]

Couldn't you just shift dinner by an hour to be nice?

[Lulabellarama]

Sleighbells like I said, I reckon we can manage an hour and move to 5ish. I just hope that's going to be acceptable!

[honeytea]

I think your idea of offering 5 is a good idea :)

[SleighbellsRingInYourLife]

Well moving it to 5 is very accommodating, I'm sure she'll appreciate it. :)

[Floralnomad]

I wouldn't be being that nice I'd be saying its 4 and that's that . Bah humbug!

[MaryBS]

If she doesn't want to rush the present giving, she could wait till after eating. Just not expect you and your kids to wait. Think she is being unreasonable.

[Pandemoniaa]

I think it's a bit rich to ask your host and all the other guests to postpone a meal for the reasons given. If you've got other commitments on Christmas Day then I think you have to work around them and be realistic. It might be that your ds can't do as much food preparation as she'd like but it isn't the end of the world if that's not possible this year because she's had to fit other visits in.

[Lulabellarama]

I have mostly won. Food will be at 4:30.
And we usually have a big breakfast, then canapés at 1, and plenty of chocolate orange to keep us going!

[SleighbellsRingInYourLife]

Yay! :)

Happy Christmas