How to split time with families during the holidays?
959345
Since you have so many places to be and so many people to see, I suggest you guys use the whole week before xmas to celebrate. I would spend a couple of days with his father and wife and then a couple of days with his mother and her husband and then spend a couple of days with your parents. But make sure you are back at your home for Christmas day to celebrate each other. What a great way to spread holiday cheer and make everyone happy. This way no one can be mad about who you spending Christmas day with, since it will be with each other at home. I realize this is alot of running around but thats what the holidays are all about, the hustle and bustle. However, I would get married and a bigger place so you can have everyone over at your house and let them do the traveling.....Merry Christmas and Good Luck!!
473332
I would suggest to drop off the kids with a relative for a while, maybe overnight. And then make your move. Wear something really sexy.
778047
1st thing:  Breathe!  You'll get through this & have some great memories in a few years.\n\nNext, don't be embarressed for your in-laws.  It's not YOUR fault they are the way they are.  Your parents/family KNOW this. \n\nRegarding the kids, plan on doing a children's table.  2 reasons:  keep them seperate from the adults so you can have "grown up conversations" and you can use that same table for activities such as puzzles, games, crafts, etc. \n\nFor the menu:  Tell them that you had planned on traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  If they would like to make & bring barbeque, that would be great!  Then both families can share what they consider traditional.\n\nHave fun!  Remember this won't be the only time the families get together.  Make the best of it!
750511
Of course you would like to spend Christmas at home with your immediate family, but Christmas is a time of year when ALL the family get together, remember your mom will not be here one day and to her Christmas is seeing her grandchildren. Being a mother myself with 3 children I will be alone as my 2 sons have to work, my daughter has decided to cut me out of her life so I will not see my grandchild for the first christmas . I miss and love them lots, and would give anything to see or hear from my daughter,(her partner started an argument last Christmas)and she has not spoken since. so Please consider your options  very carefully.
603004
Make something together. Do family handprints on art parer and frame it for the living room.\nSpend time in the kitchen - cookies are fun to make and decorate no matter what age they are.\nGet everyone a disposable camera. Take random pictures of each other. You can buy wooden frames (Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, craft stores) and decorate these frames to put your photo's in. Your kids will love that THEY took pictures and they are desplayed thru-out the house.\nI know it's hard cause the little one is so little, but anything outside - soccer, blowing soap bubbles, sidewalk chalk is family fun time.
725146
its really weird to have the same answers in the same place but....\n3yr olds:  \ngive them a vacation \nlike have someone take them for a weekend and give them like a new sleeping bag to take with them\nor take them to build a bear work shop if u got alittle money\n\nand for u and ur hubby, while the girls are away, give him the night to remember, buy u a new "outfit" to "wear" that night and go out to eat for dinner and save the "treat" when u get home
479966
Talk about role reversals, they are being childish about this and your being cornered to being the parent of their situation.  In your daughters situation I would simply say you are both welcomed to visit when ever your available, if you don't want to be around when they other is then you settle that between yourselves, your both adults!  As for other arrangements that require you to schedule time for each because they no longer live together...that will have to be dealt with on a individual basis or for the holidays ...birthdays...have the festivities at your place and welcome both...that gives them equal opportunity to spend time with you and your daughter...not to mention being a family for family sake.
65433
Actually, you are still "on time." This is only the Eighth Day of Christmas! Christmas is not just a day, but rather a season and it has 12 days. So you can still say, "Merry Christmas" and be okay. THis is also a great way to celebrate Christmas with many different members of your family. You may celebrate the first day of Christmas with your immediate family and the Ninth Day of Christmas with your inlaws. \n\nAlso, in many cultures, gifts are not given until the Feast of Lights or Epiphany which is on January 6yh. This is to commemorate the Three Kings presenting gifts to the Christ Child and then spreading the Good News of his coming -- the light -- to the rest of the world.\n\nSo, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
1124800
GIVE HER SPACE ..AND MAKE PLANS TO GO OUT AS A FAMILY AND ONLY YOU AND HER AND IF YOU HAVE KIDS REMEMBER IT NOT THE KIDS FAULT YOU ARE THE ADULT AND YOU NEED TO OPEN UP ...MAKE HER FEEL YOUR THERE IT WILL BE HARD BUT HEY ...THAT HOW YOU START THE BOND ....................AND YES SHE IS PART OF YOUR HUSBAND LIFE SO ...MAKE THEM BOND ALSO SO SHE WONT FEEL YOUR IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM....LET THEM HAVE QUALITY TIME...ALSO...SO IF SHE IS HOME SICK PLAN TO DO THINGS OKAY..AND BE A MOTHER TOOO...OKAY..SHE IS A DAUGHTER BECAUSE SHE IS IN YOUR LIFE A HEY 3 WEEKS IS NOTHING ..SO HEY SHE NEEDS TO EAT SO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH HER ..OR SIT WITH HER AND TELL HER .....DO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING AND ......HEY SHES JUST 11 ...SHE IS A CHILD..
897655
I think you should invite all family and if there not adult enough to let things go foe a nice fam event tell them not too come , they may not even come , but the invite in a nice thing and either way might make it easier to see you nephew, forgiveness is one of the hardest to do but it is one of the best , remember good comes form good how can it be bad , good on you for thinking this and being the bigger person , good luck
974566
go to volunteer match or look up local shelters and do community service together.\n\nswap names for christmas gifts.\n\nshare your favorite and funniest thanksgiving memory.\n\nstart and "Thankfulness Tree" where you write what you are thankful for on a small circle cut out of paper (and each family member can share) and hang them on a small tree or plant. THEN keep it up with your kids and either every night at dinner make another circle paper/ornament and write what you are thankful for. Each week at dinner review the week's thanks!\n\nThis is kind of like pictionary combined with communication... pair people up with a partner. Then elect one to be the "drawer" and one to be the "teller". Show the "teller" a piece of paper of what they are supposed to DESCRIBE to the "drawer". They cannot look at the paper of the drawer. They cannot tell the person what they are drawing. They must sit back-to-back. Samples of things you can have them draw: a smiley face, a snowman, a present with bow on the top. \n(so like for a smiley face the "teller" could say: "draw two dots next to each other. Then underneath the two dots draw a "U". Now make a big circle around all of that.). You can just make up any picture for them to draw that you want. Again, the teller cannot look at the paper and say "No, move this..." or anything. \nYou can time it if you want and then compare pictures amongst teams afterwards!!! See who was closest! See whose was just waaaaaaaaay off!
496122
spendin time with loved ones......
346623
This is one of the most difficult questions I have seen here. There are only a few ways to do this...do you have weekends together? Plan one weekend a month where mom (either, or alternating) agree to take care of the kid and GET OUT OF TOWN, at least get away to a Motel...sometime sleezy, sometimes nice. Leave the TV OFF. Concentrate on each other...talk, coo, pet, soothe, console, hold eachother, do things together that have NOTHING to do with the home...like sneaking out on a date, cram as much of eachother into this time as possible. During the week, a 10 minute quickie initiated by one or the other...always be responsive whether you feel like it or not..given the chance, even a tired body responds well, often better than an energetic one. And, it doesn't take sex to make for a passionate affair. And unexpected call, flowers for no reason, a kiss on the back of the neck. Show interest in each other's lives. Support eachother, avoid arguing ...takes work on both parts but it is well worth it. Love, romance, and union are not always about sex. He could watch the babies for an hour or so to let you take a long, relaxing bath by yourself ... alone time is necessary for a good relationship. Work, work, work is the only true way to make a relationship joyful and rewarding. Take when given, give when it will be taken...was all love to please our partner...show your partner that they please you, turn you on...leave nothing to guess on their part. Smile, laugh, and when you are so tired you cannot take another step, remember your other half is in the same boat. Be super considerate. YOu do not have time for fighting, for that takes time from positive, reinforcing love. Remember, the kids will grow faster than you can keep up with. Be united in your efforts to raise your children on a path that is nurturing, loving, with definate boundries you both agree on. A united front towards the kids provides no room for arguements. Pay the bills on time and no arguements will arise for the electricity being turned off. Phone, gas bills...someone has to pay them...make arrangements with your bank to pay these bills with online payment..takes very little time. Share duties for food  and prep whenever possible. The couple that works and plays together stays together..with common goals that are not obsessive. There must be time for play, as well as family duties. We all to often spend too much time in percieved duties at the expense of what really counts...the relationship. It would be greatly beneficial to have one of you get another job...one more conducive to more time together AND more time apart ... we all need personal space. Too often, in misguided romantic notions, we feel that we should be everything and all to our love...that never works. We both know that. With compromise and agreement, you will reach a great, healthy and workable balance in this life. Work for it after agreeing to it. Know that agreements will not always happen, but one or the other has to give now and then. We can only bend so much before we break. Do not let it come to that. I wish you the very best of love and luck in this. YOu deserve it and can keep it with firm resolve to put your lover's needs before yours...within reason. I do care.
176977
You don't have to do anything.  Just being home with your family will be enough.  As much as you want to be back with them and get back to life at home, they want the same.  Just get home and love them like never before:)  Welcome home!
35064
Offer your sympathies to the family and offer to do anything that they need. Then follow through since some people have a hard time asking for help. Making sandwiches, snacks, or a casserole is also nice.
960720
Wow.  Five weeks of vacation/sick?  That IS incredible.  You better take advantage of what they're giving you while you can since you're going to be slammed starting in Jan.  You're wanting to take off the 4 remaining days you have around Christmas.  I would imagine it would be pretty slow around that time anyway.  The easiest way to approach your boss is to simply ask.  Something like, How's it looking around such and such dates?  I'd like to take 4 days but if we're going to be busy during that time, then I could work something else out.  Your job sounds great.
75534
Well, I think that since it is your last vacation before college, you might not see him anymore, right? So I understand when you want to spend time with him, but your family is just as important. They too want to spend some time with you, some "private" time. Maybe you could take a couple days where you just hang out with your family, and only your family. If they feel that he's invading their privacy, you can go somewhere instead of staying at your house.