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?

No one to bubble with here either. This is normal for us though.

I haven't talked to my family yet. But the text from mil cracked me up! I do wonder how people will pick which set of parents to see if thetbahve siblings. All feels like there will be lots of rule breaking or arguments.

We were hoping to see my BIL and Sister as we haven’t yet met our nephew...we live a few hours away from family and bar a couple of walks with friends haven’t seen anyone. For our own mental health we hoped to see them as not vulnerable and would isolate beforehand. Unfortunately the grandparents (who have seen nephew numerous times due to low restriction areas and childcare) say they have more right to bubble than us so we will be on our own sadly! It’s not even about Xmas for us we just are struggling though this ☹️

There'll be 4 of us here, and if dd wants to bring any of her friends in too then that would be our bubble. DH and I haven't actually discussed whether we want to ask anyone ourselves anyway! I'd rather just leave everything clear for dd to do as she wants/needs. She has a number of friends who are on the edge of crisis and it's perfectly possible that one of them will need to come here - and they'd be very welcome.

Just to say I love the tone of your posts, OP. They make me laugh

@nzborn

l find it surprising that these messages are via text and not a phone call or zoom.

I'd find it more odd if MiL Zoomed us!

I know what you mean about phone calls though. My parents died a long time ago and I find it extraordinary how rarely DH speaks to his parents on the phone especially as we live so far away from them. He's close to them and they WhatsApp several times a week but our DD is still at home and I can't imagine a time when I don't speak to her daily often.

My family are not bubbling! My parents said something similar to your FIL. What is the point of going through the last eight months and then blowing it a (hopefully) short while before the vaccine.

We love being just us at Christmas and I find the whole 'no-one should be alone at Christmas' thing patronising, as if choosing not to get swept up in the tidal wave of consumerism automatically means you are lonely and sad, and you can't just be in your own bubble without crying into your individual Christmas puddings. (I realise there is a possibility that I could be accused of not entering into the Christmas spirit as much as others!)

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"

I'd just say - sorry, bubbling with FIL for easter and leave it at that :)

@bigbluebus MIL said weeks ago that she couldn't see why everyone was fussing about cancelling Christmas - there'll be other Christmases. She's 92 so a bold statement!

Kudos to your MiL!

@KiposWonderbeasts

Your FIL sounds like my Dad. His message: “I haven’t isolated for 8 months to dodge this bullet only to risk it for a roast dinner. Virtual contact it is.”

And kudos to your dad

@mom2babygirl

I wish I had a FIL like that!!! On the contrary here we will spend Xmas with my hubs family which I'm not looking forward to! 😓

If there's one year you can get out of it in your entire married life - it's this one.

@Newuser991 so stop picking up the bill? Say no to the freeloaders.
Tell them you’ve booked a cottage or something, say anything and if they call you out tell them “yep I’m lying to have one by myself”!

Everyone in the extended family wants to bubble with us, not because of my scintillating conversation, rapier wit and elegant hostess skills. It's because every other bugger is too tight fisted and idle to lay on any food and clean up for visitors. I'd be delighted for them to stay in their mucky homes and microwave a value ready meal like every other day but apparently I "like" entertaining .

@KiposWonderbeasts

Your FIL sounds like my Dad. His message: “I haven’t isolated for 8 months to dodge this bullet only to risk it for a roast dinner. Virtual contact it is.”

He's right. And he sounds great.

My mum on the other hand is going to nod and smile and not want to rock the boat right up to Christmas Eve then properly lose her shit that everyone else's children are staying away Because Other People's Children Love Their Parents Enough Not To Want To Make Them Ill!!

I can see it now.

PinkearedCow" 1We are Bubbling with the Cat" Priceless .Laughed out loud at that one!

I wish. It's really not a good idea yet.

Presumably you have your husband so won't be on your own.

It sounds as though your family are being sensible.

Roll on vaccine.

Just me on Christmas day as normal. I would be surprised if my family remembers i exist this year

None. A few weeks back we were in isolation and friend in hospital due to covid. Told my mother we were showing symptoms (actual proper cold but wasn’t sure until tested) along with my anger and frustration this was the first time she contacted me in months.

No follow up to find out if I have covid or if I’m alive. She’s not my emergency contact so wouldn’t know either way

So yeah... just me and the kid.

Ha ha ha. I spoke to my dad today. Christmas and bubbling was not mentioned. It goes with out saying that he and my DSM will choose to bubble with my step sister.
My sister and I lost our mum this year and so really it would be nice if he offered the invitation to us. He won't though. We will spend it together with our families. We've had a little giggle though,at the idea of us both announcing to dad that we want to form a bubble with him and watching him squirm.......

@EleanorRising My DP's are also no longer with us but when DM was on her own I rang her every single day. DFIL died 18 months ago and DMIL lives on her own. She's been in hospital 3 times this year (broken him and 2 admissions due to chest pain/pneumonia). As a result she is less spritely than she was so spends more time in the house alone (was previously mostly outside gardening!). I have to keep prompting DH to ring her - we are at least up to twice a week now which is probably enough given that no one is doing anything worth reporting on but without the prompting it was fortnightly. Having said that I've spoken to DS today for only the 2nd time since he went back to Uni in September so he's clearly inherited his DF's communication skills!

Opposite here.

I have to see my parents (probably my dads last xmas) and my MIL seems think her regular 5 household Christmas will happen.

Purely due to the fact she's been moaning since March that Covid better not ruin Christmas.

I wish we could stay home all season.

It's a bloody nightmare!

I would prefer to bubble with the cat too- but he is really next doors cat and moves freely between both households- uses bed , bowls & flap at both! Lets hope he is not a feline super spreader- or does this make us one household?

Fingers crossed MiL chooses SiL- we have had a very tricky 8 months of her in our bubble and it has nearly broken us!

More bubbles than a pissing fairy liquid advert!

You will count as one bubble - you and your parents. So if you see your sister you still count as one bubble

Is that correct though? Yes to the support bubble, but unless I’ve got the wrong poster, sister has a DD who is coming from away, and a wife/DD2 who are going to visit another family. That’s an entire Christmas bubble in itself. Your sister should stay at home with DD1, because you’re indirectly connecting your parents (who are vulnerable enough to require regular care) to numerous different people.

Your FIL sounds like a gem ❤️