Mog and Chips

We’re going home for Christmas! Eeee!

Now, we have my parents, and Paul’s parents. And we can only go to one for Christmas, and the other for New Year. Provided they’ll still have us for new year, because they’ll probably be quite offended.

It’s our choice, not either parent - so pushing possible emotional blackmail aside (and there will be words if that is attempted, despite being scared of both sides =P) it’s still really really difficult.

I mean, my parents are giving me their own money to make my future all possible. They’re acting as guarantor, making this all possible. They got the van, which made actually getting here possible. They’re losing both daughters at once, since me and sis moved out the same day, and they’re seperated from all the other family, being as all the other family is in Newcastle.

Now, I’m sure Paul’s mam would do all she could to make it all possible if she could, she’s had a stressful year and facing an operation soon, but she’s got her other family near and Paul’s brother still lives at home.

Surely I owe my parents something, being as they’re financially helping us both. But then that’s like saying “Well, your mam isn’t helping!” when if she could, I’m sure she would?

And looking back, I feel I’ve taken them for granted some. I grew up a lot living on my own last year, but that was within the buffer of a student house where the landlord takes care of the bills and furnature and whatnot. Even though I’ve been here for less than a year, I think I’ve grown up more because we’re more independant and taking care of these things for ourselves. With the distance, you stop noticing the nagging (that all parents do) and so on, and you start noticing what they’ve really done for you.

But if I use that as a reason, surely I’m saying “My parents are better than yours”, when I’m really not. I don’t want to offend him or his parents; but I don’t want to ignore my parents either, because that’s kinda like a slap in the face after everything they’ve put into it.

I still don’t actually know whether I’ve got new years off yet - if I haven’t, then Christmas will HAVE to be at my rents, because otherwise I wouldn’t see them either at all.

But that makes me paranoid - what if they think I’ve deliberately asked to work New Years to push Christmas my way? What’s more, either side could say “Nah, I’m working New Years, you’ll have to be here Christmas.” (Apparently usually you work one and get the other off? But would you need to work full days or half? ) because while my mam’s probably already got her holiday sorted, Dad might be called in either day and Paul’s mam hasn’t got hers sorted yet.

But then, it’s not as if either would work Christmas Day, right? Possibility for Dad, but hasn’t happened in all the years past. I guess they have massive overtime to get people to volunteer to work then, rather than schedule people?

On a side note, if we’re at my parents for New Years, it means 20-odd year old trivial pursuit which always drives me into a rage (seeing as younger than the game then I’m not going to get ANY of the sports or media questions, but noooo, I’m just stupid) and cherades, which always brings jokes about me being 5 and not understanding the rules because no-one explained them to me, and being laughed at for putting “Pringles” down.

Ug. Trouble with inlaws either way. And we’re not even married yet =P

edit: Also, I’m doing over double my usual work hours this week - just in time for xmas, yes? Just in time for- oh, wait, that was the cutoff point right there, you’ll get those hours in December’s wages. So… after xmas. Bah =P

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