RobEG
Junior Member
Posts: 3,933
|
Post by RobEG on Dec 26, 2023 22:56:51 GMT
Sending love and hugs Tomo. Hope things take a turn for the better very soon.
|
|
dmukgr
Junior Member
Posts: 1,305
|
Post by dmukgr on Dec 26, 2023 23:09:04 GMT
Shite Tomo, I hope things pick up next year for you and good luck on the fertility front.
|
|
|
Post by paulyboy81 on Dec 27, 2023 0:44:00 GMT
Spent most of yesterday and today watching my kids play Gorilla Tag on the VR headset we bought them for Christmas.
Had a go myself immediately forgetting the headset mic is on by default only to be met with cries from the server of "Oh my god someone's DAD is in here!" and a few minutes later called a "60 year old cunt!" (I'm 42) by some little scrote.
Good wholesome Christmas family fun!
P.S. Don't let your kids play Gorilla Tag if you value their limbs or anything in your house, game is fucking lethal.
|
|
|
Post by LegendaryApe on Dec 27, 2023 7:14:06 GMT
Sorry to hear all that Tomo, that's a lot to have going on. Things will get better
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,149
|
Post by EMarkM on Dec 27, 2023 7:55:03 GMT
I don't think I've added anything meaningful to any of the Christmas threads yet.
On the whole, a lovely one. It's my favourite time of year. When my brother and I were growing up, the family didn't have much money, but our parents did their very best to make Christmas special. As a result, it means more to me than to some people. Nowadays, I try to make it just as special for my partner and my stepdaughter.
It was a little different this year.
The "little one" will be twelve at the beginning of February, and she's growing up, as we say.
We have what I'm told are the usual challenges with her: pushing boundaries, difficult questions, a taste in music and clothes that I am too old to understand. But Christmas itself highlighted just how much has changed. It’s the first Christmas/birthday where her wishlist had no toys or games on it whatsoever.
Most of what she asked for was expensive beauty products, and hearing her reply to family requests of “what would you like?” with “just money, please” was a little disheartening.
It took me back a decade or so to when I was visiting my brother, his wife and daughters on Boxing Day.
I looked over at my eldest niece, then about twelve years of age, and her face was reflecting the light from her laptop screen. To me, this was a family day, and I took it quite hard that she was spending some of it staring at a screen. It didn’t seem right.
But let’s not forget that I spent my own twelfth Christmas furiously playing my new Munchman tabletop console, even though Mum had warned me that my visiting grandparents might not appreciate it.
Anyway, all-round, a grand time so far, even though Mrs M went back to work yesterday, and I never really get time off work as such (I didn’t write anything on Christmas Day itself, I don’t think).
I just wish the little ‘un had asked for a bit of Lego.
|
|
|
Post by freddiemercurystwin on Dec 27, 2023 10:18:33 GMT
After genuinely asking people (actually only my SIL and Mrs Mercury) that they save they're money and not get me anything I probably have £50 of utter garbage. Again.
|
|
|
Post by eleven63 on Dec 27, 2023 12:09:01 GMT
Is it ok to start drinking?. It's still Christmas after all. ✌️
|
|
|
Post by freddiemercurystwin on Dec 27, 2023 12:11:48 GMT
You have my blessing.🙏
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,149
|
Post by EMarkM on Dec 27, 2023 12:18:11 GMT
Is it ok to start drinking?. It's still Christmas after all. ✌️ As long as it's Cresta!
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Dec 27, 2023 12:24:49 GMT
Is it ok to start drinking?. It's still Christmas after all. ✌️ I was thinking the same thing. My Christmas cold/covid put a dampner on my traditional boxing day blow out. I feel a bit better today but might leave it another day or so to really enjoy a few jars.
|
|
|
Post by Bill in the rain on Dec 27, 2023 14:24:30 GMT
The "little one" will be twelve at the beginning of February, and she's growing up, as we say. We have what I'm told are the usual challenges with her: pushing boundaries, difficult questions, a taste in music and clothes that I am too old to understand. But Christmas itself highlighted just how much has changed. It’s the first Christmas/birthday where her wishlist had no toys or games on it whatsoever. Most of what she asked for was expensive beauty products, and hearing her reply to family requests of “what would you like?” with “just money, please” was a little disheartening. This sounds very familiar.
I'm struggling with the whole teen beauty products thing, as part of me want to tell her it's mostly a big con and you don't need any of it, and all those commercials and youtube videos going on about it are just trying to sell you stuff.
|
|
|
Post by jimnastics on Dec 27, 2023 14:26:17 GMT
I don't think I've added anything meaningful to any of the Christmas threads yet. On the whole, a lovely one. It's my favourite time of year. When my brother and I were growing up, the family didn't have much money, but our parents did their very best to make Christmas special. As a result, it means more to me than to some people. Nowadays, I try to make it just as special for my partner and my stepdaughter. It was a little different this year. The "little one" will be twelve at the beginning of February, and she's growing up, as we say. We have what I'm told are the usual challenges with her: pushing boundaries, difficult questions, a taste in music and clothes that I am too old to understand. But Christmas itself highlighted just how much has changed. It’s the first Christmas/birthday where her wishlist had no toys or games on it whatsoever. Most of what she asked for was expensive beauty products, and hearing her reply to family requests of “what would you like?” with “just money, please” was a little disheartening. It took me back a decade or so to when I was visiting my brother, his wife and daughters on Boxing Day. I looked over at my eldest niece, then about twelve years of age, and her face was reflecting the light from her laptop screen. To me, this was a family day, and I took it quite hard that she was spending some of it staring at a screen. It didn’t seem right. But let’s not forget that I spent my own twelfth Christmas furiously playing my new Munchman tabletop console, even though Mum had warned me that my visiting grandparents might not appreciate it. Anyway, all-round, a grand time so far, even though Mrs M went back to work yesterday, and I never really get time off work as such (I didn’t write anything on Christmas Day itself, I don’t think). I just wish the little ‘un had asked for a bit of Lego.
Our oldest turned 11 at the beginning of Dec and he's definitely entering that tricky stage, although I think it's worse for girls than boys (our girl is only 8 is piss easy to buy for still!). He definitely struggled this year writing a list and started getting anxious about it, double-hard for him as he gets loads of stuff for his birthday just a few weeks before. So this year we said to him to not worry and to trust is to get him cool stuff or tell others / Santa(!) what he might like. I'm kinda chuffed how we did, I think we knocked it out of the park as he's been buzzing over the past couple of days
I did say to my wife on Christmas Day that this might be one of the last (if not the last) "fun kid" Christmases we have with him before the hormones kick in so we should make the most of it, she was a few glasses of wine into the night and burst into tears. So now I feel really guilty and trying extra hard to make it really fun for her as well
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,149
|
Post by EMarkM on Dec 27, 2023 14:29:12 GMT
This sounds very familiar. I'm struggling with the whole teen beauty products thing, as part of me want to tell her it's mostly a big con and you don't need any of it, and all those commercials and youtube videos going on about it are just trying to sell you stuff.
Exactly the same! Good luck to us all.
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Dec 27, 2023 14:33:52 GMT
My 13 year old boy spent spells of Christmas Day in his room on his phone. Which tbh, I was OK with, as it was a busy houseful. There would have been more drama as he'd have wanted to use the big telly etc so it was just easier for all. A bit of a cop out perhaps but anything for an easy life on Christmas Day. That goes for food too.
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,149
|
Post by EMarkM on Dec 27, 2023 14:34:02 GMT
I did say to my wife on Christmas Day that this might be one of the last (if not the last) "fun kid" Christmases we have with him before the hormones kick in so we should make the most of it, she was a few glasses of wine into the night and burst into tears. So now I feel really guilty and trying extra hard to make it really fun for her as well We've had that same conversation. I was trying to explain to the stepdaughter that my brother and I still liked toys and games well into our teens. In fact, we still do in our fifties! But it is different for girls. The con tricks of the beauty industry are just one aspect of the whole "body image" nightmare which we will be helping her navigate. Be brave, everyone!
|
|
ned
New Member
Posts: 401
|
Post by ned on Dec 27, 2023 14:38:47 GMT
I spent Xmas Day and Boxing Day on the duty team at work. Very quiet this year so only a few things to deal with. Meant I spend 90% of the time drinking tea and playing games in quiet solitude. Whilst I wouldn’t want to do it every year it was somewhat blissful not having to deal with the usual chaos.
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,149
|
Post by EMarkM on Dec 27, 2023 14:44:56 GMT
I spent Xmas Day and Boxing Day on the duty team at work. Very quiet this year so only a few things to deal with. Meant I spend 90% of the time drinking tea and playing games in quiet solitude. Whilst I wouldn’t want to do it every year it was somewhat blissful not having to deal with the usual chaos. Not quite the same, but, when I worked in IT, I used to love having New Year's Eve and Day as my on-call. I couldn't give a stoat's stuff about New Year (in my head, the real new year is the beginning of September) and the on-call payments were off-the-chart. My buddy had no family that he needed to spend Christmas Day with, so he always did that shift. Worked like a charm.
|
|
Vortex
Junior Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 4,648
|
Post by Vortex on Dec 27, 2023 15:05:49 GMT
Tempted to have a bit of my traditional xmas toblerone, but threads elsewhere here have put me off a bit...
|
|
ned
New Member
Posts: 401
|
Post by ned on Dec 27, 2023 15:07:48 GMT
Tempted to have a bit of my traditional xmas toblerone, but threads elsewhere here have put me off a bit... When in Rome
|
|
|
Post by Syrette on Dec 27, 2023 15:26:51 GMT
Get it in you.
|
|
Vortex
Junior Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 4,648
|
Post by Vortex on Dec 27, 2023 15:29:27 GMT
It's the getting back out I'm worried about.
|
|
Vortex
Junior Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 4,648
|
Post by Vortex on Dec 27, 2023 15:30:32 GMT
I have had two triangles.
I'll leave how it was applied to your imagination.
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,149
|
Post by EMarkM on Dec 27, 2023 15:38:15 GMT
Billy Connolly’s take on this whole situation is brilliant!
|
|
Tomo
Junior Member
Posts: 2,565
|
Post by Tomo on Dec 27, 2023 17:35:56 GMT
Christ, 2023 can't end soon enough. I have a dying cat. Then, this weekend I discover my last remaining childhood cat (19!!) is dying, basically in front of my eyes but no vet availability. We are about to embark on spending a fortune on fertility treatment with like a 20% chance of success. I'm awaiting the medical results from a visit to the doctor about a weird mole. And to top off, my sister-in-law spent about 3 hours crying and talking to MY parents about how my brother works too much (true) and isn't there for her and his kid (probably true), whilst he was asleep in the other room. MERRY CHRISTMASSSSSSSS Fucking hell, that's a lot of shit mate. Hope next year is a better one. Thanks mate, and everyone else. Helps to have a vent. We go on.
|
|
|
Post by simple on Dec 27, 2023 18:55:12 GMT
Absolute devastation here this evening.
Son realised that feeding his Hot Wheels cars into the Criss-Cross Crasher and having them smash into each other at speed is scratching their paintwork. Had a massive tantrum that resulted in him pushing over a stool that had all of my wife’s sewing stuff on it spoiling a days work of hers. She lost her temper and started moving some of his Christmas toys onto the top shelf of a cupboard he can’t reach until he calms down. Obviously this completely sent him over the edge and massively escalated things - “you’re the meanest mummy, I hate you, you should live outside in the street” etc (the full Bronhom Taffin treatment).
Things have settled down now but both are quite sulky about it.
She has a real knack for getting wound up by him when he gets mad.
On the plus side I found a sample box of Green & Blacks I’d forgotten the in-laws gave me so I’m enjoying myself with that while I stack the dishwasher.
|
|
|
Post by Jambowayoh on Dec 27, 2023 19:04:17 GMT
Please someone remind me. Having kids is great yeah? Because sometimes I read the stuff you guys post and I go back and forth at being happy I'm single and really wanting a family someday.
|
|
Vortex
Junior Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 4,648
|
Post by Vortex on Dec 27, 2023 19:18:15 GMT
It has peaks and troughs like everything.
Peaks are good. And mostly outweigh the troughs.
|
|
|
Post by simple on Dec 27, 2023 19:23:11 GMT
Plus who wants to tell a story where you sat and played Connect 4 for a solid two happy hours
|
|
Tomo
Junior Member
Posts: 2,565
|
Post by Tomo on Dec 27, 2023 19:30:17 GMT
Please someone remind me. Having kids is great yeah? Because sometimes I read the stuff you guys post and I go back and forth at being happy I'm single and really wanting a family someday. Having been someone who was ambivalent to having children, seeing my niece grow up over the last two years has been absolutely heart melting. She has been off the scale adorable this Christmas. That said, I've probably spent about a week in her company in total and her parents are notttttt doing so well at the moment, so I'm well aware I'm not getting the full experience :x
|
|
|
Post by dfunked on Dec 27, 2023 19:37:33 GMT
I'm happy with my choice, and I definitely wouldn't fancy starting a family this late in life anyway.
My girlfriend's bro will be 60 by the time their new kid will be getting into her late teens. Fuck that noise!
|
|