<p>It’s so nice to know I’m not alone!</p>
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<p>I almost spewed my water all over the computer. LOL, that’s exactly what would happen to me. Or you would later see one of my neighbors on the news saying “I just can’t believe she did that. She seemed so normal. I wonder what could have caused her to snap like that?”</p>
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<p>ROFL. “She lived such a quiet life with her husband and mother.”</p>
<p>^^^^Oh my God, you’re killing me, Missypie. So funny.</p>
<p>I don’t know how I almost missed this thread - I am the poster child for avoiding overnight visits (hosting or guesting). My sympathies to all of you with relatives who expect to sleep over! Missypie, your ILs really do seem to take the cake - sleeping in the car in a Wal-Mart parking lot on the way to your house so they wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel??? I don’t think there’s anything to be done - congrats on managing to stay married. :)</p>
<p>A few years ago I posted a similar thread and got lots of support and ideas for introducing hotels as a home-away-from-home - you might find it helpful: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/357086-out-town-relatives-dilemma.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/357086-out-town-relatives-dilemma.html</a></p>
<p>We’ve since had husband’s family up for d3’s graduation. His parents stayed in our room, which is the best option for older guests because of location, having its own bathroom, etc. Our older daughters, who drove 6 hours to get here, stayed in a hotel (and loved it). Husband and I tolerate visits but avoid them when we can because there’s just no way his parents will stay in a hotel - they find the notion insulting. I wonder what they’re going to do when our ds get married far from home? </p>
<p>I, too, am an introvert, and pretending that I want to make conversation with MIL at 6:30 AM when I really just want to read the newspaper is pretty close to torture.</p>
<p>Here’s my ILs coming-to-stay story (this was from my first marriage): They were due to stay with us for one night on their way back home from Florida, the first time they were to stay at our house. Plans were firm. I was out shopping the day before their visit, arrived home to find them in our driveway, 24 hours early, no notice at all. MIL said, “Now we’ll see how you really live.” The breakfast dishes were still on the table, house not all tidy, etc. I called my H at work and said, “GET HOME NOW.”</p>
<p>bookiemom, that was just plain mean of your ILs to do that! Mine just make us wait for hours - they’re always late.</p>
<p>FIL likes to wake up early and take over the kitchen table with his newspapers. DH hates it because he has no sense of personal space. It’s his dad, not mine, I remind him. My dad - well, I have to remind him to put the seat up when he visits - oops, TMI.</p>
<p>Frazzled1, thanks for the link to the 2007 thread. Many funny stories. I esp. liked the relatives who wanted to pitch a tent in the yard rather than stay in a hotel.</p>
<p>My husband’s aunt and uncle lived in a tiny trailer during retirement. When their son, wife and teenaged grandkids would visit, the family of 5 would pitch a tent on the patio rather than pay for a hotel. Another cheaper than cheap person on my H’s side of the family - the guy is a high ranking corporate executive and spends a week in a tent on a patio in the middle of summer. And possibly more horrifying, that meant that there were seven people sharing a single travel trailer bathroom.</p>
<p>missypie - THANK YOU so much for starting this thread! I thought I was the only one who hated overnight guests and hated to BE an overnight guest! My husband and I watch every House Hunters show and I swear on EVERY show the people comment on how great this space would be for entertaining! DH and I just look at each other and laugh and I always tell him we are alone in this world feeling the opposite of that! Now I know we are not the only ones who feel that way!</p>
<p>Re: entertaining, and having overnight guests, H likes to say: </p>
<p>“I’d rather light myself on fire.”</p>
<p>Gee, honey, tell me how you really feel!</p>