Anyone else have no fucker who wants to bubble with them over Christmas?

[EleanorRising]

We live a couple of hours drive away from both our families but there and back in a day is doable.

Text from FIL: "love you all, not meeting up with anyone til vaccinated against this bugger. Will transfer £££. See you on the other side"

Text from MIL (they're divorced) "Jeff and Joan are bubbling with us and bringing Joan's mum so that's our bubble sorted. Easter's looking promising though"

My sisters will spend Xmas day with their in-laws so that's their bubble for the 5 days.

Anyone else not been inundated with requests?

More love for your FIL!

I spend every Xmas Day alone: children to father, second husband to his grown up kids, been that way for 8 years. I like my quiet Xmas!

Last night, husband was talking about various permutations of bubbles and what might happen, and how it’s all so difficult. I just laughed - said after all the Xmases alone, I was feeling quite smug to not give a shit about any of it 😉

We will be bubbling with my inlaws. We haven't seen my parents since last Christmas but they have chosen to spend Christmas alone. I have to respect that and deep down know it is the right thing to do but it doesn't stop it hurting.

@JovialNickname - yes, I made that point earlier in the thread, which all of the families that may not be having additional guests don't seem to be able to understand.

I enjoy being on my own at Christmas, had preplanned to be at the start of this year (isolated rural cottage in woods for me and the cat) but if cheery Christmas TV and radio gets you down, get some films or non-Christmas programmes downloaded in advance, a couple of good books, and plan a good walk if you can get out.

Sarah Millican usually does an 'on your own at Christmas" twitter thread.

And if you really need cheering up, you can probably come on here and read a dozen "DH has farted on the sofa" "FiL arrived completely pissed at 9am" "DC are fighting and have been screaming for the last 3 hours"..... and be eternally grateful that there's a lot that you aren't having to put up with.

I’m thinking the stage might be set for future Christmas’s. I have done Xmas day for 13 people for 10 years - sibling’s, parents, in-laws. It actually feels very exciting to not have to do the same this year, and breaks the link now, so leaves it open for changes next year too.

I'm not doing Christmas full stop. DP and me have just split :( but still have to live together for the foreseeable. My parents won't let us near (I work with the public) and his mother won't let him near, so...we are stuck together, apart.. hmmm

Love your FIL’s text, OP!

Sounds perfect that.

Similar here, we normally host a big Christmas but parents in law and parents want to wait til vaccinated now which means DH & my siblings are free to do whatever with their in laws.

We are a family of 6 with 2 kids in secondary so happy for everyone to give us a body swerve this year. Would prefer are folks are all around for a big party later.

Feel bad for you, but at least you have someone to spend the day with.

We just having it in our own !
It’s not worth meeting up our parents on both sides are old and vulnerable and it’s only one day out of a shit 2020 anyways roll on Easter and hopefully life can be back to normal .

Bubble free here. Will compensate with actual bubbles (alcoholic ones).

I love your FIL he sounds fab. Your MIL sounds like a lot of fun too.

I think I'd prefer a puppy as a present and leave the family to it! Dogs definitely count.

We're not seeing anyone either - but it means we have to entertain the kids, without the usual bustle of christmas visits etc. Wine will get us through it.

The whole cliche that is Christmas is now ramped up even more and more. We are made to feel like freaks. It's 24 hours.

I'm not sure we will bubble but we will see people within the tier restrictions (assuming we aren't in tier4).
We'll see my brother in a cafe for a coffee and we'll see my parents probably outside for a walk and maybe takeaway coffee.

Same. Our household is me and two young adult DS. My parents will bubble with my brother who had young children (totally understandable) and SIL will of course want to see her parents. I'm not really fussed tbh, I never really enjoy 'big Christmases' anyway.

We will be at home, just the four of us, and I think it will be fine. We usually spend it with my db and dsil with any friends who are about but dsil wants to stay home alone this year which is fine, I respect her choice.

May meet with friends or neighbours in the garden for mince pies...

[quote WhereverIGoddamnLike]@IndiaMay

Or you can do what everyone else is having to do which is choosing a few and do it in such a way that no one is left alone if at all possible.
It's literally just a few more months until this will all be over. You cant just follow the rules for own christmas? People managed it over Easter and Eid and those are much did important religious celebrations.[/quote]
Yep, was going to say just that, I won't be seeing partner and have not seen him since July. I'm in Wales and he's in England so have had different rules. I was even hesitant in letting him visit in July but I'd rather neither of us infect the other or others general in the travelling and stopping at the services etc. It's not much longer and stuff can always be done over zoom/skype/media thing of choice.

@EleanorRising

We live a couple of hours drive away from both our families but there and back in a day is doable.

Text from FIL: "love you all, not meeting up with anyone til vaccinated against this bugger. Will transfer £££. See you on the other side"

Text from MIL (they're divorced) "Jeff and Joan are bubbling with us and bringing Joan's mum so that's our bubble sorted. Easter's looking promising though"

My sisters will spend Xmas day with their in-laws so that's their bubble for the 5 days.

Anyone else not been inundated with requests?

Your FIL has entirely the right idea.

@dalmatianmad

Love your FIL

I'm an A+E sister and would never forgive myself if I passed the virus on to anyone so its just me, dp and the kids. I've barely seen any family since March.

I've got a 12 hour night shift Christmas day and the 2 nights after so I'm glad we don't have to see anyone. All my time and effort will be poured into work this year looking after the poor buggers that will be dying of this awful virus 😢

Really do appreciate what you've all gone through this year in the NHS –and social care as well – with this pandemic. Thank you.

My Christmas will be just my DS and me as always. No-one ever wants to see us over Christmas so this year will be absolutely no different!

My parents have decided not to mix at all. I know this is the sensible decision but I do feel a bit sad about it. We re a family of 6 with one returning from Uni so there's plenty of fun to be had. DH only has his brother on his side so we'll be including them in our bubble. I have two siblings and I suspect it's better to see neither than choose between them. Roll on next year!

I bloody wish. We've got way more people than we can bubble with and there's no way to do this fairly without letting someone down (including whatever I might desperately wish for as my own ideal)

We've already had mutters from MIL about probably being alone this christmas (and no, we are not the closest child/ family of hers)

We're the same OP. I think some of the other family will bubble up, but we'll just stay home as usual.

I do worry this Christmas about people who will be all alone. The whole bubbles system does seem to have an element of “chosen first / last in PE” about it. Only what you’d expect from the sort of govt I guess.

I’m a single parent and have made my parents my bubble throughout, so they’re going to have to take us

I can imagine if I had a lovely partner really relishing the idea of a Christmas as a little family though.