The joys of having a dysfunctional family at Christmas!!

Have you ever just wanted to take one of your family members and smack them upside the head??? Well I have and many times. Did I mention that I have the most dysfunctional family I have ever known!!!

Christmas has always as long as I can remember been at my sister Marie's house because basically she was the only one with a large enough place. My other sisters house is too small and me and the kids always lived in small apartments. Well when I married Roger I made the decision one year to have Christmas at our home, oh my you would have thought that I commited a crime. Marie was all upset because she always has Christmas at her house...I guess we aren't supposed to ever do anything different. So in November of that year I announced that I was having Christmas, Since Marie was so upset and crying about it (she cries about most anything that isn't her way) I asked her did I need your permission to have Christmas at my own home and her answer was no but you should have asked??? Now isn't that getting permission?? Did I mention I have a disfunctional family????
Okay speed ahead to this year. Marie made and "Official announcement at Katie's birthday party that she is having Christmas at her house and my comment to her was oh okay. I have decided to just not worry about what she plans for Christmas and Roger and I and Jennifer and the kids do Christmas morning here at our home and then we sometimes will go over to Maries later in the day. Everything is going very well and then Chris has his knee surgery.......since they were coming over to our home for Christmas morning we decided to just plan on going over to Jennifer's house for Christmas morning since they live upstairs and it isn't too fun for Chris to go up and down the stairs. So I called my mom and asked if she would like to go over with us for the morning and we could drop her off at Marie's after. She said she would have to think about it which really means I have to call Marie and see if it's okay!! I also told her that everyone was welcomed to go to Jennifer's if they wanted, oh they can't do that because Brandon is coming home...what that has to do with it I do not know, remember that disfunctional part??Then she found out I did not plan on going to Maries, basically because we do not get along, she is a selfish, self centered person and she doesn't like me or Roger so why would we go somewhere we aren't wanted.Anyway then my mom said something that I have to say really bothered me. She is worried because they (meaning my mom and two sisters) have told everyone(all of our relatives) in Minnesota that we were all going to be together this Christmas!!!!WHAT THE HELL I guess my mom forgot about her other grandson who is in Iraq this Christmas...so now I am in trouble because according to Marie (and she is never wrong) I said I was coming way back at Katie's birthday party. No I did not say that and then when we had went to Tahoe and some unpleasant things went on I can't believe she would expect me to come anyway..Did I mention that I have a dysfunctional family. So I am very sorry to all of our relatives in Minnesota who thougth we were all going to be together for Christmas, it is just going to be the regular disfunctional get together that we usually have. Marie over at her house pretending she is living the perfect life with the perfect children and perfect marriage. Me and Roger and our family at Jennifer's celebrating the birth of our Savior and missing Mattie. Marie and her family could not be put out having to go over to Jennifer's to accomodate Chris. I am so happy to have the family I have~ Roger, Jennifer, Matthew, Chris, Dylan Katie , Molly and Mandy. I plan on having a very joyus Christmas and even my sister Marie can not take that away from me!!I do feel like going over to Marie's and smacking her upside the head but I will not, it is the Christmas season after all : ) : )

Thank you to all who took the time to read my rambling, but sometimes you just have to get things off your chest. I seriously would love someone like hallmark to come out with cards for disfunctional families....I have a hard time finding cards on days like Mother's day, sister's birthdays etc...