I’ve known MIL for 20 years and I have been married to her DS for 16 years. I get on fine with her as long as I don’t say anything remotely critical about her son. She’s always been eccentric and as she has aged her filter has gradually faded out of existence.
She’s originally from rural Ireland so when I start giving you quotations from her, it’s important that you read them in the voice of Mrs Doyle from “Father Ted”, because that is exactly what she sounds like, so it is. She has form for repetitively making the point (starting in October) that she will be requiring nothing for Christmas: “Nothing! Nothing at all! Sure, what would I need? Maybe a book.”
One year, almost everyone took this at face value and at present opening time, she had very few presents. It was awful. She was looking around like a forgotten child, bottom lip out, asking, “Are NONE of these presents for me?” So since then, I always make sure to collect together a pile of stocking-filler type presents for her, and I wrap them all up individually so that she has a little pile of presents to open while the kids (her grandchildren) are opening theirs. I find it quite tough to source lots of little presents for a 75 year old woman and I’m not made of money, but I do my best.
Anyway, I always get instant feedback on every gift - due to the aforementioned lack of a filter. One year, I gave her fragranced drawer-liners, which caused total bafflement because she had no idea what they were, even after I explained. Her daughter gave her a bottle of perfume, the one that she thought was her mum’s favourite, but that was met with a loud, “DD, I have not worn this perfume for YEARS!”
Last year, I gave her a (I thought) nice reed diffuser. She unwrapped it and asked, “What is this?” and I said, “It’s a reed diffuser, you put the little sticks in the bottle and it fragrances the house.”
“And would YOU like something like this?”
So I said, “Oh yes, it’s a nice brand and a lovely, fresh scent.” So she handed it to me. And I kept it, took it home and had it in the bathroom for months.
She has also responded to a wrapped up hair styling product (I was getting a bit desperate) with a “Very original!” and she once returned a little silver trinket box to me by regifting it back to me the following year.
So I’m starting this thread so I can come back here on Christmas Day and update you on what gems she comes out with this year. I hope that you will contribute your own “MIL at Christmas” stories or your “reactions to Christmas presents” stories.