<p>“conspiracy of Jewish theater owners to make more money.”<br>
“My favorite part? She argued with me on the proper making of matzoh balls”. </p>
<p>NICE</p>
<p>I think Ellebud needs to teach a graduate seminar in “Keeping your mouth shut”.</p>
<p>I want to pick up on something roshke mentioned earlier, “fit.” This is really most important. If you don’t pitch a fit, you can probably bump up that THMIL* average to 3.0 within the week.
*Trying Hard, Mother-In-Law</p>
<p>Any chance you can just drop this course altogether? Claim the dorm is quarantined due to the flu.</p>
<p>I guess changing majors altogether is a little involved at this point with kids and all. Plus there’s probably a waiting period.</p>
<p>What’s the teacher’s pet doing for these 10 days? Hiding??</p>
<p>I mentioned this before somewhere else: I have permanent lacerations on my tongue. However this Christmas should be a doozy: We have to go to my husband’s brother’s house…for the first time in 30 years. My MIL wants “togetherness”. Only problem? The wife won’t talk to Jews unless it is for business. (We didn’t talk for 29 years). Imagine us: eating dinner as the SIL runs into the bedroom or the wine cellar for hours. Oh the laughter! Oh the gaiety! </p>
<p>Yeah, maybe I should teach a course…But I would start off by saying…Don’t let it start…be polite be firm and draw the line on bad behavior and STICK TO IT!</p>
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<p>This is a real person under 95 years old who is currently alive in the United States? Are there other entire groups of people she won’t talk to or is it just Jews?</p>
<p>Wow ellebud! I thought I had a gut class this quarter! Souinds brutal. :(</p>
<p>Sounds like you need some noise cancelling headphones. D says they’re a lifesaver in the dorms.</p>
<p>Perhaps you should consider contacting a mental health professional to assist you in meeting your MIL’s expectations. Clearly, there is a problem, right?</p>
<p>07Dad–you are a silly, silly man at times. :)</p>
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<p>I am appalled. I mean everyone has their quirks,differences etc. but this is just evil.</p>
<p>Poetgirl - </p>
<p>Hahahaha; nicely done!!!</p>
<p>My wife and I have solved this problem: I take vacation for the entire time that my mother visits, and I become her constant companion.</p>
<p>But as for your case . . . I would watch out for the tell tale signs of becoming a helicopter daughter in law. That can lead to deleterious effects for her son. If you step in and take care of things that the son ought to be doing himself, he may never learn to take care of his own mother, and you will be stuck with a dependent M-I-L for all eternity.</p>
<p>Warning signs are of being a helicopter D-I-L are:
- Taking primary responsibility for M-I-L eggs and muffins, from preparation through delivery and clean up
- Her son disappearing from the abode, using such transparently false excuses such as “I have work to do” or “I need to go the office” or “the boss is calling”
- Repeated trips to the emergency room from bitten tongue syndrome (although you may not have this problem)
- Too many times when you look up and realize that you and your M-I-L are the only people in the room</p>
<p>There are things you can do to guard against your own helicopter D-I-L tendencies:
- Take a part time job at a local shoe store (that’s a two-fer)
- Make sure that you use up all available vacation time BEFORE M-I-L
- Create excursions with other family members that require significant physical exertion
- Link the joys of marital bliss explicitly to time spent with M-I-L, in an inverse fashion: more “you” time with M-I-L, less bliss time with hubbie</p>
<p>Remember: just one of you can have the better in laws :-)</p>
<p>Happy Holidays</p>
<p>Kei</p>
<p>Really Kei?</p>
<p>I was growing attached to the throwing her over the couch option. Now, however, I’m concerned I may have to go and throw ellebud’s MIL and entire in-law circle over the couch. I’ll need at least three more dogs for that, also a spa day for sore muscles.</p>
<p>This is it!! A creative and self-improving solution.</p>
<p>Get her a puppy for X-mas and give it to her when she arrives. Tell her (the MIL, not the puppy) that you want to see how she trains it to stay off the couch so that you can “get it right” with your dog(s)!</p>
<p>You’re probably right, 07. Everyone could use a puppy. I ought to get her a puppy, actually. It’s not a bad idea. hmmmmm.</p>
<p>My MIL was my best friend. She just passed away a couple of weeks ago, and I miss her dearly.</p>
<p>Now, my Mother, that’s a different story.</p>
<p>Did you mention she was southern? Well, one thing Southern women love to do is cook.</p>
<p>Why don’t you ask her to show you how to make a Southern dish, like red beans and rice or mirliton dressing or oyster dressing? Or just how to fry a pork chop or barbecue some ribs?</p>
<p>Now, if she’s health conscious and one of those snooty Southerners that’s into the arts, take her to a museum. She can look at the artwork and you won’t have to converse with her. Or take her to a concert. Like a movie, you can sit without speaking for a few hours. And there will be many plays put on during the holiday season. I’m sure you can find something. Or how about driving around at night, looking at Christmas decorations?</p>
<p>Just remember, she is your husband’s mother, and when conflict arises, you will be on your own. So do make sure you practice your tongue biting not just with her, but with your husband as well.</p>
<p>Is the 2.1 in tongue biting weighted or unweighted?</p>
<p>10 years ago my in-laws decided to spend a week at Christmas with us. So…my husband and I gave them something they always wanted…a five day, all paid trip to Las Vegas. The only catch was, they plane ticket departure date was the day after their arrival. Everyone had a wonderful holiday.</p>
<p>Poetgrl: Are you essays passive aggressive? Do you dispute passages just for the sake of dispute? My supplemental essay is about Christmas holidays spent with my MIL’s lactose intolerance. I am hoping to be admitted to a school far far away, perhaps one next to a dairy farm with creamy rich-milk producing cows.</p>
<p>The sister in law is definitely under 95 and lives in the Los Angeles area. The question is: Who IS acceptable? White, wealthy WASPS OR anyone who can give them business…but they are not acceptable socially. I don’t know their son (obviously since there was not contact for so many years) but I keep hoping that he gets married to a half Black half Asian Jewish girl. That would REALLY fry their cookies.</p>
<p>And the 2.1 is weighted…how else are the lacerations so deep?</p>
<p>musica–rotflol!</p>
<p>No, I’m def. going with the puppy. Demonstrates leadership skills, planning and evasive action.</p>
<p>The 2.1 is heavily weighted. </p>
<p>No, I like my MIL just fine. It’s nothing like the ellebud thing, which is actually not even a laughing matter. </p>
<p>Seriously, good luck with all that. Have you thought of getting your sister in law a puppy?</p>
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<p>From a rescue shelter, please. Suggest she name the puppy “CC.”</p>