NikB's latest update (#23)

[NikB]

Thanks ST! I agree, I think I handled it pretty well overall. I hope you're right about not doing this again soon, we shall see.

My sis actually did pretty well. She knew stepmom wasn't staying Sat night.. she's pushing for her to stay tonight "for Santa" though. She's going with stepmom up to her family's for Christmas Eve and then will be back at my dad's - I imagine that's when she'll probably get pretty upset. Hopefully she'll do ok, though. She's tough to "read" because she hides her emotions quite a bit.
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Had a pretty good day yesterday and night last night. Did some last minute shopping, saw my mom, bro, and SIL for a bit, and H and I did our traditonal "Sunday dinner" together.

One kind of awkward moment that I realize I brought on myself - but it had an interesting response. I didn't get any major gifts for any of H's family, but I wanted to give MIL and SIL at least something small. I was thinking along the lines of even though they're both kinda being jerks right now they are still family, and looking at the past they've always been good to me. So.. I wrapped up some of those "soup in a jar" things that I made, and gave them to H to take tonight along with his gifts to them. He got kinda quiet, got that "dark" look on his face, and stared at the floor. Crap. Realized right then I shouldn't have 'gone there' but I wasn't sure what to do.

I said "I'm sorry, I didn't think it would be a big deal. Should I not give them anything? I hoped these would be OK since it's just a small thing." He kinda fidgeted and hemmed and hawed.. then said "I'm sorry they are being so stupid." And repeated a couple more times "They're just being really stupid right now." Kinda interesting.