Firstly, I absolutely love Christmas, especially now that we have two dc's, and I love spending the festive period with family, as well as doing all the traditional things, blessing of the crib services on Christmas Eve, pantomimes, etc.
Anyway, my MIL was asking about present ideas for our dc's, + suggested something that we'd already bought for our daughter. She seemed disappointed, so I suggested she buy it from us + give it to her granddaughter herself. She seemed very happy with that but later in the week my SIL phoned + said she had just gone + bought this particular item as her mum (my MIL), said I'd suggested it!! Explained that we'd already got it as I'd originally said to MIL, + she seemed most annoyed that she'd have to return it, + seemed to blame me!!
She rang again the next day asking about a particular toy truck she was thinking of buying our ds, (it's part of a set that he's got a lot of, + loves new additions). From her description I knew we hadn't got that particular one as she said it had a trailer. Anyway, she went + bought it. She was at our house the other day + suddenly went, "Oh no!" Apparently the truck my ds was playing with, (we've had it ages), is the one she's just gone + bought! It's just been revamped though with a trailer addition (which I didn't know about). Anyway, lots of eye rolling + sighing from her, + mutterings about speaking only to her brother, (my dh) about present ideas as I clearly haven't got a clue + now she's got two things to take back to the shop!!
I must admit I'm quite upset over all this, I've done a lot of my Christmas shopping already, (largely for my dc's + their little cousins), so it's not as if I'm clueless!
Not only this, but my mum mentioned a particular computer game she was thinking of buying my dd. I suggested another one instead, that my dd has been asking for for weeks! Anyway she's bought it, but keeps saying she thinks my dd would prefer her original idea, every time I speak to her! I feel like telling her not to ask us in future, just buy what she wants! We've had this other years too.
Both our children also have birthdays very close to Christmas so everybody's thinking double for both of them. I know they all just want to get the right thing but we might just suggest money or vouchers next year, + we do the shopping!! Wondered whether anybody else has these problems.