MIL has stolen my childhood christmas decorations!

[ExhaustedPigeon37]

Hello all,

Bit of a strange one but I think my MIL has stolen my Christmas Decorations!!

They have been in my family since I was small and although they aren’t expensive, nothing special they are just sentimental to me.

We had these three decorations, saying Joy, Noel and Ho Ho Ho with a Santa head on the top. The letters cascade downwards and the Santa has a loop so that you can hang them up. This year I put our decorations up and only found the Joy one. Asked DH and he said he hadn’t seen them, so I only put the Joy one up thinking I’d come across them in another box, I never did.

Fast forward to yesterday when we went over to theirs and they live about an hour away so we stayed for dinner and catch up after DH finished work. MIL was showing us her new decorations and the tree (which is themed red and white). I happened to glance at the bottom of the tree where I saw THE/MY Noel and Ho Ho Ho decorations hanging off of her tree!!! I’ve never seen these decorations at their house before, so the only conclusion I can come to is that they are mine, which is why I couldn’t find them this year!

Asked DH and he said he didn’t notice, asked if he remembers us giving them to her or anything and he said can’t at all. Last year we moved house in

I’m so shocked. What do I do? Do I ask for them back? Do I just leave it? Do I sneak them out when we next go there? DH wanted to stay at home on Boxing Day but I now want to go there to retrieve my decorations (they have been invited on Christmas Day but declined due to the journey and FIL recently having had a knee replacement).

People have literally posted ones they've found on ebay. It's not difficult. I've done it myself, waited and searched ebery day for a few weeks to find something vintage I've see

This is very plausible, but if something like this did happen, MIL likely won’t notice and certainly won’t care if they go missing and reappear at yours OP. In fact she’d be relieved to see them there: “oh, you got your decorations back? I am glad, I meant to give them back to you last time but forgot”.
So I’d still go with secretly taking them.

Honest yes sentimental no not one bit never have been.

You can search by photo now on Vinted. Lots of similar items have came up, have a look. For £3 I would replace them, label them and freak her out when she visits and spots them :-)

www.vinted.co.uk/items/3785587373-hohoho-christmas-decoration-santa

I would also be sentimental about these decorations, they mean a lot to OP and she needs to get her original ones back from MIL's somehow. They have to be OP's decorations, far too many coincidences.
I think MIL was oblivious to the significance of these decs when she pinched them, probably thought OP would not miss them, hence being so bold as to display them at her house this year.
Please keep us posted OP and good luck

Found the MIL!

I think it’s more the principle of the thing, surely? Stealing anything from the home of a family member is not really on, is it. Let alone something OP considers precious.

Yes, I find that you can find anything online. I found a childhood toy that had sentimental value that I was sure I would never be able to get hold of and found the exact one. It was very expensive though!

She only took a photo of the 1 out of 3 she had 😊

Would SIL know when they appeared in her mothers house? If DH wont investigate maybe she would?

Surely op in this difficult situation you just buy the cheapest similar replacements you can find and secretly swap them out and bring yours home. Chances are no one will notice and if they do they won’t think of you.

Homebase and BHS were the same company if i remember correct,y.

They're 9 ft when the OP says hers are 15 cm!

Mum and nan are two very different roles. You'd really correct your own child's step children if they chose to call you nanny/grandma/whatever? How mean spirited and unnecessary.

I'm team steal them back.

I had to post though, I had a serious jump scare from your photo! We just inherited these exact decorations this year, and your photo looks exactly like it was taken on the arm of our couch, I briefly thought I was losing my mind

No, its about someone stealing things from OP's home. It might be 'just' decorations this time but more next time and who knows where it will end. The actual value is irrelevant.

I couldn’t be doing with your DH’s response. He is your actual problem.

Just wondering if MIL cognitive function is ok ?

It's highly suspicious. Can you ask your SIL whether she recognises the decorations? She might have a better memory than your DH and be able to give you a clear yes or no.

You sound pleasant and inclusive toward children (thankful that my stepmum treats my children as her own and considers them 100% her grandchildren).

I would mention your missing decorations and ask where did she find the ones on her tree so you can ‘buy’ replacements.

where were your decorations stored to start with ? How could she have had access? Any chance a small child has given them to Gran?

Is she drinking plenty of water? Lack of water makes them loopy.
It does sound a bit like dementia, there are tablets to help slow the progression- sooner you catch it the better.

This is so funny - its not about tracing a replacement, it's about having the original🙂
My son and I have an ongoing situation with a glass. He used it one day, liked it, took it home ( waggling it at me as he climbed into his car).
I retrieved said glass, by driving 35 miles and hiding around the corner until he left on the school run.
He pinched it back while I was on holiday. I took it home when I visited for Sunday lunch.

This has gone on for two years now. No one says anything.
I just giggle like a school girl at each heist, and I assume he does too ( in a manly way, obs).
Could you start this tradition OP? Sounds like you MiL has made the opening shot😁

What made you get together with him with that track record?

Two of them? And the OP has never seen them there before. No.

Ah good ol' mumsnet, read half of the OP and think fuck it, I'll make up the rest so I can be all supercilious and do some performative pearl clutching 😂