to ask for people to keep presents for ds1&2 until much nearer Christmas?

[PTA]

Dh got a text from his sister yesterday saying that she had sent the boys' presents. She lives in London. They are flat-packed cardboard boxes that you build for them to climb into, onto, etc. She said to put them under the tree, which we don't have up yet. Fine I thought, better than the jacket that she bought last year which cost a fortune and he has only worn three or four times.

Anyway, said presents were delivered today and they are huge flat-packed thin boxes, a bit like the art portfolio folders that you get. I had to tell ds1 that they were for next door. Easy lie as I had already taken in two parcels for them today. I then tried to put them in the car when neighbour called for her parcels. They are so big that they won't go in the boot. They are now taking up all of the back of the car. I'll have to take them up to my mum's when dh gets in.

While I am struggling to put these in the car, in the pouring rain, ds2 was in his high chair as we were just finishing lunch. I had moved the bowls out of the way but he got hold of the table cloth and pulled to whole lot onto the floor!!! Which I had only just washed last night!!!!! Ds1 couldn't stop him as the minute I left the table he went to put on the tv.

I moved ds2 away as I started to clean up. He was too close to the cutlery drawer, pulled it open and proceeded to empty the spoons all over the floor. Luckly he couldn't get to the knives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So anyway, I've just had to wash the kitchen floor again and it's all my sister-in-laws fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could she not have arranged for delivery nearer Christmas?

I can't help thinking it was really nice of your SIL to organise buying and delivery of xmas presents in good time. Could you imagine the chaos if everyone demanded their goods be delivered on xmas eve.

i think you're just having a bad day.

also if sil has no dcs of her own, she probably hasn't a clue about the intricacies of hiding presents, keeping up the facade of father christmas, how much planning it takes just to do anything without the children (such as moving her presents to your mums). I'm sure my sister has silently seethed about some of the things I've done over the last few years but I did them in all innocence.

Have a cup of tea and a biscuit and a good moan to your mum later.

That's the thing though, she has a ds who is the same age as my elder ds. If she had let us know, we could have had them delivered to my parents or her grandparents and not had the hassle.

It's not so much keeping up the Santa facade as ds1&2 will know that they came from her, it's the pestering I would get from ds1 to be able to open his now.

But you are right BeeWiseMen, I am having a bad day. Weather too rotten to take the kids out and I can't put them in the car now as it's full of the presents!!!!!!!!!!!

ah well in that case she is being thoughtless and should now better. Send her an early christmas present too - a nice ripe stilton, already wrapped, with instructions to keep in a warm place until christmas day.

know (not now).

What a great idea! Should I add a few prawns as well?

Definitely unreasonable!

It's not her fault your child will pester you and won't take no for an answer!

And it's lovely of her to organise a thoughtful gift to be delivered in good time for Christmas - it's only 3 weeks away, not as though it was delivered in August.

But, you are definitely having a bad day, so sympathies for that.

Broccoli, I don't mean to be cheeky but my son can and does take no for an answer. However, I am sure that you will agree that it would be a very special 4year old indeed who would not ask persistantly about an unwrapped present with a picture of what it is on it sitting in his living room for nearly three weeks!

Can you imagine the uproar on mumsnet if you showed a child a toy, put it out for them to see and told them not to touch it for three weeks and then after that let them play with it to their hearts content?

I do argee that it is an unusual and thoughtful present but perhaps a little more thought into the deliver would have been nice.

Would it be possible to put it under the sofa - or too wide?

Or slide then under the bed ?

Far too big for that! They are now at my mum's, where they will stay until Christmas Eve. Mum stores all my presents for me as we don't have much space here.

Thanks to everyone for responding, it's the first time that I've started a thread and I did need to vent yesterday as I was having a bad day.

can you put it under your bed?

oh sorry someone already said that!!

very unreasonable

it was lovely that she has sent presents at all
you tell your children that it isn't christmas yet and thats the end of it

deary me

I think your sister probably sent the presents early because posting can be dodgy too near Christmas and she probably wanted to ensure it reached you in time.

Plus she could have lots going on herself and might have found it better to send it when she had the time to do so. Things can get hectic the nearer to Christmas it gets.

Without meaning to sound harsh, i think you should be grateful that your sister was kind enough to send your children presents.