Background info: I get along fine with my MIL/FIL. They've pissed me off before and I'm not the DIL they wanted but we are friendly enough and make an effort with each other. I have two children- 13 and 10- with an ex but they have been in my DH's life for 6 years now. Ex is very much involved.
I have agreed to go to MIL's for Christmas dinner. Our place is too small to host and, although my preference would be to cook our own dinner and have a small celebration then visit after dinner (they are only down the road), DH thinks it's important to go to his mum's and says she would be offended if we didn't so that was the plan. I don't love going because 1) food is never how you'd do it yourself, is it? 2) I feel a little uncomfortable as MIL also invites loads of her family who I see maybe twice a year and although they're lovely I'm a bit socially awkward and just don't find it relaxing; 3) We end up sitting around for ages at theirs afterwards instead of me and the kids being snuggled up at home with a film or playing with their toy. The latter point is important because the kids go to their dad's at 3pm Christmas day every year and stay until the 31st (I get Christmas Eve and Christmas morning as a compromise- we can't change these arrangements so late in the day as ex has planned around them and it wouldn't be fair) so my time with them over the Christmas period is limitted and it doesn't feel quite the same in early January. I would love to host but our house is barely big enough for us, let alone extra guests.
The issue, however, is that DH has just announced MIL is not cooking a Christmas dinner this year and is instead doing a pasta and salad selection with some cold meats etc. This is because she finds the pressure to cook too much for so many people (whom she has invited). I have offered to bring dishes but this has been refused. Everyone always helps clear up afterwards so this isn't the issue, and we always offer to help beforehand but are generally turned down. Anyway, I may be being a bit of a brat but I don't want this for my Christmas dinner. I just don't. My time with my children is limited and I want to enjoy a proper Christmas dinner with them, as we always have (until last year I always cooked myself) before I don't see them for a week. I work full time in a highly stressful job so we don't have a huge amount of family time so I make a big deal of Christmas- it's the one time I feel genuinely relaxed and like there aren't a million work deadlines to worry about. I have said to DH I will stay home and cook and we can go round after dinner but he says I'm causing trouble and to suck it up for one meal. But I just don't want to!
We could have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve but it doesn't feel the same, plus we've booked to go to one of those stately home Christmas shows so it'll be a busy day as it is, plus all the usual Christmas Eve excitement.
AIBU to want to stay home and visit afterwards?