I feel as though recently I want to socialise less and less. I'm quite introverted as it is, and find socialising can be really draining. Just happy spending time with my family (hubby and kids, and my parents and siblings).
I visit the inlaws once in a while, which is fine as we go when DH and I want to go (plus he pops in more often without me, which is fine as I do the same with my parents), but my mil just has this incessant monologue, just mindless gossip or chat about what she ate for dinner and lunch for the past few days, and gossip about people that I don't even know! She rings once in a while to chat about the same stuff, and if I don't answer, she keeps ringing until I pick up. So then I usually just call her back and listen whilst I'm cleaning or something. But it's just mindless cr*p! It's not as though I'm the only person she can offload on and that she needs a sympathetic ear, as she has a list of people on her call-list and repeats the same drivel to everyone.
Then I have another relative (inlaws side) who is great fun to be around but she has far too much energy and no respect for boundaries. So when we do meet, it's a good laugh, but I can't do it too often. She regularly asks me to go round to hers after school on weekdays but I work till 6, then have to sort dinner, and like to workout too if I can fit it in. She tells me off that "you're always working" but my work hours are my work hours. I'm not skiving off work early so I can go round to hers. I'll go on a weekend or whenever I'm free.
She also likes to organise big inlaws' side get-togethers every August bank holiday, but we tend to go away at that time of year (bank holiday means one day less annual leave for DH and I), so we miss the picnic. We see the whole family regularly anyway, and aren't too bothered about missing out. Our family holiday comes first and is usually booked months in advance. But her and MIL will constantly go on and on about it all year, that we weren't there. I can't see why she can't organise it any other weekend in the summer holidays, or else accept that some people aren't around during the summer.
Sigh. I know I'm being unreasonable by putting down boundaries but honestly I'm finding it so draining and don't want to go along with everyone's plans just to be polite anymore.