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AIBU?

To want to go and lie down in a darkened room with a large gin if I receive yet another smug "round robin" Christmas letter?

50 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 22/12/2007 09:51

So your six year old has read all of the Harry Potter books - "not bad as he only started the first one in August." Your holidays this year "included the Caribbean, Morocco and a long weekend in New York". Your husband "has a fantastic job; his talents are really being recognised and rewarded financially - haha!" There then follows a long list of all the oddly named friends (that we have never heard of) you have seen over the year "Piggy and Jumbly came with their boys for a long weekend; we had a lovely lunch at the Fat Duck" and "We were delighted to hear that Winnie has just given birth to twin girls, Persephone and Artemis - two little pink cashmere cardigans on their way to you, Winnie, if you get this before they arrive!"

I am really not fucking interested in your (imaginary?) life. And I don't imagine many other people are either, except perhaps Piggy, Jumbly and Winnie.

And I hope that you've booked that lovely Christmas break with teh travel company that's just gone tits up.

OP posts:
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NAB3hundredbaubles · 22/12/2007 15:33

I only get 1 letter in a card but look forward to it all year. Unfortunately this years cards have brought news of 2 divorces.

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PartridgeinaRustyBearTree · 22/12/2007 15:39

They're not really round-robins anyway, they are circulars.

A round robin is a letter sent by several people to one person, a circular is sent by one person to several.

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tassisssss · 22/12/2007 15:41

I love getting christmas letters. Sadly several of my friends who usually do them haven't this year.

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drosophila · 22/12/2007 15:43

I got another one this year and as you describe full of how fantastic the children are, supportive the husband is and just how dammed popular the writer is.

If I were a little bit more gifted with the pen I would try and send a witty one back but sadly lack this skill. I would like to start with :

Another shit year.............

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drosophila · 22/12/2007 15:45

Of course I start to think that clearly you are not happy, your husband is a shit and your kids disappoint you at every turn.

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RotundRobin · 22/12/2007 15:48

We had one this year that was 'written' by the family's guinea pigs.

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alicet · 22/12/2007 16:46

I'm not a fan of these either. I tend to think that if I'm close enough to actually want to know all of this I will hear it during a phone call / meet up. And if I'm not I'm just not that interested! Sorry!!!!

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Lilymaid · 22/12/2007 16:50

A good friend of mine always sent these out every year - cue DH retching. Last year's was written by her DS in similar vein. This year friend has been battling with cancer (and no Christmas letter of achievement has been sent out) - so we can almost forgive her for them!

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Blu · 22/12/2007 17:33

I just received one that included the plot (sic) of every opera they had been to see. FFS - if I'm interested, I already know the plot - if I'm not, I don't need to know!!

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motherinferior · 22/12/2007 17:39

I have to say I only get one of these, and rather guiltily enjoy find out what my school friend Helen is doing, but then she is a rather nice homeopath in Derby.

I feel cheated.

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Quattrocento · 22/12/2007 17:43

We've had three this year - none of them boastful, although was a bit envious of one friend who gave up work yonks ago and just trains all day and runs lots of marathons

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beeper · 22/12/2007 19:48

Usually we get a round robin from a couple that I personally have never met, full of the ususal stuff. This year we got a photo of thier kids and the dog...and no round robin...why on earth do I want a photo of thier kids...ive never met them, what am I supposed to do with the thing.

Yeah Burn it.

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FluffyMummy123 · 22/12/2007 19:51

Message withdrawn

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Waswondering · 22/12/2007 20:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SueBaRoomForAMincePie · 24/12/2007 11:07

We got an enormously smug gap year world travel type round robin today, and the really-not-very-successful-in-any-area-of-life middle child was announced as being 'a key member of the local Pizza Hut team'

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UnquietDad · 24/12/2007 11:10

I can't claim "boast by post" as original I'm afraid. I think it is a Libbyism?

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PurlyQueen · 24/12/2007 11:25

It's best to take any claims in those smug letters with a large pinch of salt.

If I was that interested in your life then I'd have caught up with you either by phone or in person long before receiving a Christmas card.

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Islamum · 24/12/2007 11:37

We didn't send a letter, but did send a pic of dd which we had printed with 'merry christmas 2007' very cheesy, but dd is only 7 weeks old so i think we should be allowed this year - i did think about a letter, but didn't have time. a couple of years ago one of the national papers published some of the worst!

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Nooname · 24/12/2007 11:41

We get two of these every year and they show the good and bad way of doing it!! The "good" one is light-hearted, informative and not showy-offy in any way and even though I've never met the people in question (college friend of dh) I actually like them!!

The "bad" one is just one long show off, written totally in the third person so you spend the whole letter wondering who wrote it! It always includes all the parties they've been to, holidays, jobs etc and very little about the children, unless its a show off. It's so clearly intended to show how great their lives are in comparison to yours!!

What really pisses me off about it is that it is totally impersonal - no "to" name on the letter or in the card so it's just a production line of computerised showing off!!

I am sooo tempted to write a tongue-in-cheek alternative just to send to them but was too lazy this year - maybe next year!

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Theghostofchristmaspyjamas · 24/12/2007 11:55

I made my own up after reading everyone elses smug ones I posted it on here a couple of weeks ago but I still daren't send it out only other ppl who have seen it are my aunts in NZ

What I really wanted to send but decided best not



Well what a year it's been ,can't believe how fast it's gone aswell!

The first half of our year was very busy ,Poppy celebrated her first birthday just after Christmas ,then of course There was all the planning for Emmas wedding gawd if anyone told me what a bridezilla she was going to be I would never have taken on the role of matron of honour .No wonder I developed nervous exhaustion during the months of May and June. I especially remember been screamed at in the middle of meadowhall the day before the wedding whilst trying to find frilly socks .I also have fond memories of the coach driver ringing me up and berating me for my sisters tardiness at not confirming the booking .

Well the wedding finally arrived the only day in Summer it was actually sunny and what a wonderful day it was our family at one side of the room and my new frother in laws at the other .I shall have a lasting reminder of the reception after been hissed at by bridezilla to get on the dancefloor before the farking videographer left and she had no shots of the dancefloor on the DVD you can just see the enjoyment on my face as I was forced to do the cha cha slide with only 10 children for company.

Just a quick note as some of you may know Brett and I were planning our wedding for next September it's off after the fun and frivolity of Emmas wedding I decided one family wedding a decade is quite enough and we are spending the money on a holiday.

Just after the wedding Sheffield and various other places were flooded we spent two fun filled days with no electric or heat trapped in the house with 5 small children ,suppose I'm luckier than some My dear sister had to walk home in chest deep water from the city centre her photograph appeared in a newspaper pausing to light a fag as a car floated by gawd knows how she managed to keep her cigarettes dry! It also caused her ,her first newlywed row as her husband didn't know she was still smoking !She also tried to help an old man but eventually left him sat on a wall as he was going to slow for her she always did have a compassionate side.

Now we are all dried out hahaha! I will briefly mention the children they are all doing fine Dylan is sports mad as ever he did obtain a broken arm this year after falling from a bucking broncho at a summer fete , the year before he got the record for longest time this year the bucking broncho got it'srevenge. Lucy is doing ok too I have only been called into school a handful of times once because she was calling all the teachers by their first names they tried to ignore it at first but it was the final straw when she walked past the head and said cheerfully "morning Barbarah" .Another time we were asked to go in when she told staff she had been drinking Jack Daniels all weekend. Other girls are fine they particually enjoy tearing lumps out of each other or if they are friends flooding the bathroom.

We had the children baptised in August it was a lovely service and I'm glad so many of you could make it .......oh I forgot quite a few of you didn't bother turning up, never mind though I didn't mind wasting 400.00 on a venue for 150 and watching tons of food go to waste .The pub was lovely though but I do think the karoke was a mistake and I must apoligise for performing like a virgin badly if you missed it the evidence is on youtube under "rachael does madonna" .I must also take a moment to apoligise to Father keith and his wife who were kind enough to join us at the reception I am very sorry I broke wind whilst we were around the table I am also deeply sorry for telling you I loved you and that you were a cool Vicar ,I know in your email you said you found it quite funny but I am deeply mortified . I will one day feel able to show my face in Church again.

Me and Brett are doing ok he is his usual random self he finally decided to decorate in August he took the wallpaper off and never put it back on again so my walls are a rather fetching shade of orange at the moment he may be motivitated into doing something about it soon when people start ringing me back with decorating quotes!

Well thats it a summary of our year I hope you all have a merry Christmas and I will see you at Grandmas on boxing day for our annual meet up where I'm sure we can all bitch about each other behind backs and thank each other for our beautiful gifts whilst mentally summing up how much we will get for it on ebay.

Love ya x

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boHOHOhemianbint · 24/12/2007 12:32

Good god, people really do this?

Why don't I get any? Sounds terribly entertaining...

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WanderingHolly · 24/12/2007 13:00

Brilliant ghostofchristmaspyjamas!

I am roffling. A lot.

Especially loved the use of 'gawd' and your sister's bridezillas tendencies killing your desire for marriage.

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hertsnessex · 24/12/2007 16:32

ghostofxmas - that was fab!! we normally get one from an old frind, v v me me me thorugh the whole thing, but didnt get one this year, i kinda missed it!

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lojomamma · 24/12/2007 16:44

Loved it ghostofxmas!

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suedonim · 24/12/2007 17:23

I've had disappointingly few RR's this year, though much enjoyed the one from an old school friend. She and her family have endured many surreal illnesses and pregnancies and the, apparently, unexpected arrival of twins (in between holidaying in almost every country in the world) this year and have topped it off with a recent car crash, so they'll all be risking exacerbating their whiplash injuries by pulling crackers at the festive dinner table. You have to laff, doncha??

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