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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 'SNOW' is a shit excuse for not being able to come for christmas

35 replies

shinyshoesandglitterypoos · 26/12/2010 16:40

I know the snow was bad. We were snowed in for a week. But my MiL has yet to appear because apparently it's too snowy where they are. And yet friend who lives a mile away says 'nah it's fine, I've just driven back from Newcastle and it's absolutely fine - the roads are all clear' Angry

I cannot plan my week in case they decide to honour us with their presence. DH is silently fuming and refusing to talk to them in case he yells and the kids want to know why there are presents under the tree they can't open yet (because they go with the things MiL has got them - ie we've got a train track and she's bought the sodding train).

OP posts:
TheFeministParent · 26/12/2010 16:42

Plan your week....but snow and older people on the roads don't mix. And let the DCs open the god damned presents.

BaroqinAroundTheChristmasTree · 26/12/2010 16:45

well there is more snow forecast by the met office with weather warnings to go with....perhaps they don't want to take a chance and get stuck.

And that could be even worse - the thread could be

"OMG, my MIL decided to come and stay even though more snow was forecast and now she can't get home - I don't know how much longer I can put up with her" Xmas Wink

Original poster
shinyshoesandglitterypoos · 26/12/2010 16:47

She isn't even driving, that's the real PITA. My SiL is driving her and it's not even that far.

OP posts:
Original poster
shinyshoesandglitterypoos · 26/12/2010 16:48

Therein lies the rub Baroq - it is likely to snow here tomorrow - or Tuesday. Which will not close the roads. It won't be that bad but will slow things down. But they don't know this and we've been trying to call them all day to say 'when are you coming because tomorrow looks bad'. And yet, considering how terrible the weather is they are out and have been all day Angry

OP posts:
lololizzy · 26/12/2010 16:52

yanbu..and crap about the train!

HecTheHallsWithBoughsOfHolly · 26/12/2010 17:31

Go to them?

If you turn up on the doorstep at least it would sort out the snow excuse Grin

"Hi! We felt awful that you couldn't come to us because of the snow, so we thought we'd come to you."

[evil]

brokeoven · 26/12/2010 17:41

I think its a CRACKINg excuse....in fact i wish had thought of that last night when i was driving to work for my night shift......off to the phone just now to tell them i wont be in tonight due to the snow....

witchinthewindows · 26/12/2010 17:41

We couldn't go to visit family because of the snow situation, well we were restriced to certain times we could travel due to other committments. One person's idea of not too bad may be far removed from anothers?

Katisha · 26/12/2010 17:45

You are not alone.

My MIL refused to come because of the snow and she is only 15 miles away. And she wouldn't let us go and get her either. Some weird "hates to put people out" vibe which then means she actually causes even more hassle...

CarolSinger · 26/12/2010 17:46

My friend drove down from Newcastle to Milton Keynes to visit family yesterday so no YANBU.

Although if it were my MIL I'd be very happy she wasn't coming

swanandduck · 26/12/2010 18:02

YABU. Some elderly people are very, very nervous of snow or of being stuck somewhere and not being able to get home to their own bed and familiar surroundings.

cumfy · 26/12/2010 18:35

DH is silently fuming and refusing to talk to them in case he yells

Does he have Tourette's ? Grin
Does he explode if something goes seriously awry ? Hmm

Oblomov · 26/12/2010 18:58

MIL was supposed to come to us today. SAhe came last eyar for boxing day and we had a lovely time. Unlike all the MN majority who hate their mil's, my mil is a sweetie. We don't see her that often, she is totally non interfering, and a total sweetei.
She was supposed to be staying with sil number 5,( there are 6 sil's !!), for atelast a week over christmas but the snow was too bad for her to get there. Plus she had had another fall. I don't like to think of her being at home on her own. Nopt nice.

She buys the most naffiest presents ever. I keep telling her I'm alergic to her naff avon body mosturisers, but I still get them. But I'll let her off !!

altinkum · 26/12/2010 19:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HerBeatitude · 26/12/2010 19:10

Yes YABU imo.

I agree with the police, I don't think people should go out in snow unless they need to (unless they have snow tyres). I think this is part of why christmas can be so stressful - the idea that you absolutely have to be somewhere, with certain people, regardless of how inconvenient, irksome or in some cases dangerous it is. It's not that unreasonable to not want to risk being stuck in a 14 hour queue on the motorway in the cold. I wouldn't want to do it.

HerBeatitude · 26/12/2010 19:13

And as excuses go, snow isn't a bad one.

Am trying to think of other good excuses.

Floods
Death
Pestilence
Famine

ETc.

Snow must surely be in the top 10?

humanoctopus · 26/12/2010 19:27

Oh for heaven's sake, let the children open the MILs presents!

I am sure she'll understand.

Original poster
shinyshoesandglitterypoos · 26/12/2010 19:37

There is no snow left on the roads. THE WHOLE WAY! I know because I've been halfway myself and my friend has done the last bit.

I don't agree with coming if it's been snowing but this snow is going to last at least another week before thawing. If they can go out to the next town to go to the sales (which they have) is it not reasonable to assume that they are not actually snowed in? Hmm

And MiL, for those who missed it, will not be driving.

She does not understand about the presents and has just had a conversation with DH about how much she's looking forward to the 'look of wonder' on DS's face. Hmm

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 26/12/2010 19:56

"There is no snow left on the roads. THE WHOLE WAY!
Maybe on the main roads, but the side roads are another matter. MIL lives in Northumberland and the snow is horrendous where she lives. She didn't want OH to pick her up to bring her back to Yorkshire because she knew she would fret all the time wondering if she would get home again.

swanandduck · 26/12/2010 20:24

WTF?? Let the kids open the MIL's presents and stop making an issue out of it.
She does not want to come. Leave her alone and stop bitching about her.

Iwantscallops · 26/12/2010 20:25

Go into town and buy the train she has bought (take hers back) - that way the kids can open their presents. MIL will just have to deal with that.

I would just be pleased that I didn't have to have my MIl to stay.

It is completely unreasonable to expect anyone to drive in conditions they don't feel comfortable in, especially if there has been fatalities yesterday. There may not be any snow but there will be plenty of black ice.

southeastastra · 26/12/2010 20:28

just to add something else, our roads are still lethal to get out of, about a ten inches or more of ice it just won't thaw

could be they live somewhere that's lethal to go even out of their road

thenightsky · 26/12/2010 20:40

I find these freezing temperatures (think daytime minus 4) worse than driving on snow.... my friend wrote her Landrover off on black ice she didn't even see. Her and her son had to be cut from the vehicle Sad

NetworkGuy · 26/12/2010 22:00

pardon me if I am dumb but from my reading it sounds as if MIL has the train to go on the track, so until MIL is there, it is not worth opening the present from OP + DH.

Yes, MIL being a total fool if she can go to the sales in another town but wanted to delay Christmas for OP's DS.

I guess I can understand DH being ready to yell and a shame that SIL did not just say "come now or make your own plans to visit" as I bet she has other plans on hold until MIL can be arsed bothered to visit.

FuturePM · 26/12/2010 22:01

YANBU. Yeah it's a shit excuse. I'm sick of hearing it.