Thursday 13: His VS Mine

Thirteen Things about Comparing DH's family against mine. Disclaimer: While I dearly love both families there are some differences and I thought that it might be noteworth (or funny) to point those differences out. 1) Phrases heard at each families' home... DH: "You can always tell a German, but you can't tell him much." (they're German and it's funny.) Mine: "We are equal opportunity offenders here." (I like to say that I was raised by wolves. Mom taught us that teasing was fun. But now I see it as her being insecure.) 2) Guest rooms at our parents' homes... DH: Fully furnished bedroom with a double bed, TV and empty dressers to store your stuff in. There is also a completely stocked bathroom that is solely for the guests use. Mine: Nice bedroom with two twin beds (one with a very bad mattress!), No TV, dressers are full of Step-dad's things and he gets offended if you open the dressers looking for a place to put your things while staying there for 2 weeks. Because mom doesn't like to clean the shower in the "guest" bathroom you have to trek threw the Master bedroom and use the Master bathroom to shower in...DH refused to do this and used the guest bathroom anyway which horrified my mother because she hadn't bothered to clean the shower first. 3) Meals... DH: Nice meals that are usually DH's favorite foods, lovingly prepared by MIL. You are always welcome to help with the dinner prep, but it's never expected and you'll get shooed out of the kitchen when it's time to do the dishes. Mine: You had better come prepared to cook and clean up after yourself because "we ain't runnin no restraunt here!" 4) Laundry... DH: MIL will ask if you have any laundry that you would like her to do while she is doing hers anyway. You'll get it back all folded and ironed if necessary. Mine: You have to ask to use the laundry room. And the water there smells bad, so you really don't want to wash your clothes there at all if you can help it. 5) Transportation... DH: MIL will let you use her car anytime you want and will obtain a car seat too. Mine: Stepdad & Mom will drive you along anywhere that they are going, but Stepdad does this floor it and coast thing with the gas pedal that makes you toss your cookies...so you're better off renting a car. 6) Entertainment: DH: MIL will offer you magazines, TV, games, etc... Whatever they have at the house, it's yours to use while you are there. Mine: The last time we were there, Mom was doing yard work (even though she knew that we were coming) which consisted of buring tree branches that had fallen from the last string of hurricanes...we were invited to help. (although, Darly loved tossing acorns into the fire and hearing them pop!) 7) Going to dinner: DH: MIL will fight you to pay the dinner check, everytime. Mine: Stepdad will offer to pay, but Mom won't offer but will gladly accept for you to pay. 8) Visiting the rest of the family: DH: The reunion was scheduled for a certain time on that day and the rest of the time we were there we were free to do anything that we wanted, but SILs' homes were always open if we wanted to drop by. Mine: Mom wants us with her 24/7 and was hurt that we decided to get a hotel room the last time we visited, *see the bathroom incident above for reasoning*. Brothers don't bother to return calls. And Grandmother returns the call on the day before you are leaving to set up a get together for that night after favored cousin gets off work...he is late and so the get together can not start until he arrives...meanwhile we still have to pack to go home. 9) How the familes get along with eachother: DH: While there are some squabbles, for the most part everyone gets along very nicely. Family get togethers are never a stressful event. Mine: Mom isn't speaking to her mother or her sister so you have to schedule different visits ("is she going to be there?") My youngest brother is really mad at my mom so he won't be at anything with her there, but will come to my grandmother's. Go figure. humm...running out of good stuff here. 10) Family gossip... DH: (the tables turn here...) MIL will tell you everything about everyone and her opinons about it all. I have to wonder if she's telling me all this stuff about the rest of them...whats she saying about me to them??? Mine: Well since no one is really talking to Mom, she doesn't have much gossip to spread. Although she will complain about how Bro#1 hardly every comes over and when he does they barely stay long enough to say hi. 11) Family size... DH: has two sisters & two brothers Mine: I have 3 brothers 12) Family rank (or birth order) DH: he's the baby of the family Mine: I'm the oldest child 13) MIL experience... DH: when we got married, DH was the 4th to go down the eisle. MIL being the baby in her family had lots of experience with In-Laws and shared with me this advice..."Every family is different. You may not always agree, but you compromise." Mine: I got married second and Mom spent the entire time since Bro#1 got married criticizing how different SIL#1's family was. She was once heard saying "Well no wonder he had a Heart Attack! Look how she makes the gravy!" So there you have it. I made it to thirteen, yay. I'm very glad that mom lives in FL and that MIL lives here in CO. We are all the perfect distance from eachother as to not get on eachother's nerves. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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