Busymom.net: Comment on Mystery Dinner Theatre

Funny. My MIL is visiting now. I'd LOVE for her to say "just take a load off -- I'll cook dinner tonight." I don't THINK I'm territorial about my kitchen, and yet everyone looks to me for "what's for dinner." Like I'm the grand poobah or something. What is with that?

Posted by Marie at June 15, 2007 11:55 AM

Mothers-in-law are weird. It's just the law.

Posted by Laura at June 15, 2007 12:17 PM

You must live somewhere near me! :) Bonnaroo affects us too!!! YEE HAW

Posted by Tamara Cosby at June 15, 2007 12:25 PM

Poor Busy Mom! I love my MIL, but don't so much like her, per se. And I cannot STAND her cooking, since she is from Ohio and I am from Louisiana, and the food in those places? Not so much the same.

Posted by princesssparklepants at June 15, 2007 1:04 PM

The differences in visiting my Mom vs my MIL...

My Southern Mom will ask you what you want, go to the store for supplies, and fix it for you. On a good day she will fix her yummy, home-made banana pudding without being asked. With iced tea!

My Yankee MIL will disappear into the kitchen, reappear with food, and expect you to eat it. No matter what it is. Which made for good fun when I was pregnant and hardly anything was worth eating. "Oh me? Uh, no thanks. I'll just eat this piece of bread. And a grape." With ice water!

Posted by Sherry at June 15, 2007 2:16 PM

Gracious, it's my MIL who's the great one. My mother? Let's just say she's a bit difficult. What does that say about my chances of normalacy?

Oh, and I couldn't agree more with waiting for John's song to change. We adored him early on but it's all getting a bit grinding....

Posted by Amber at June 15, 2007 3:21 PM

Maybe your parting gift will be a year's supply of Rice A Roni...the San Francisco Treat!!

Posted by Larisa at June 15, 2007 8:23 PM

I love my MIL, but she can be a bit odd too - good to know someone else is in the same boat!

Posted by Judy at June 15, 2007 9:05 PM

My MIL is very much like yours, plus throw in some self-pity and a lot of passive-aggressive comments. After 15 years, I pretty much just smile and nod in response to her questions. Why answer if you can't actually affect the outcome? Thanks for letting me vent!

Posted by jenny at June 15, 2007 11:09 PM

Sounds rather stressful.

Posted by creechman at June 16, 2007 5:26 AM

My MIL can make a 3 course meal from crackers, pineapple and a square of cheese - and then have enough left over to make some sort of dessert. It's amazing!

Posted by Moving Mama at June 16, 2007 7:04 PM

Maybe she is funny that way about "her" kitchen. Like you I would be happy as a clam if she cooked in my kitchen. When you two are finished playing the game send her over here! :-)

Posted by MommasWorld at June 16, 2007 7:20 PM

My MIL is a lot like that too. Although she will make the main course and then expect me to make sides, serve and clean up. Plus play hostess to her. I would rather she went home when I get home and eat cereal with the kids.

Posted by Spar4home at June 16, 2007 9:56 PM

oh that would get irritating. I hope your hubby can come home soon so you don't have to worry about the dinner challenge anymore.

Posted by Stephanie at June 16, 2007 10:04 PM

You are lucky... my MIL wouldn't even dream of coming over and helping with my son, or cooking- she is too busy tanning and going on vacations. And probably drinking. All day. Don't get me wrong- we get along, but I would love some help every once in a while! The good news is that when she does come over- she totally takes it upon herself to discipline my son, and now I think he is kind of scared of her..... oh well, aren't MIL's great? hahahaha.

Posted by Riley's Mom at June 16, 2007 10:31 PM

My MIL can do it all, even though she's getting on in years- I adore her. I also LOVE my mama, but she's not so home-handy. More like maintenance. High. With a side-order of shopaholic...
Which I really like, as she's of a generous nature. Just don't ask her to cook.

Posted by demondoll at June 16, 2007 11:06 PM

My parents are showing up on Tuesday from out of state and the dinner thing is always a sticky issue. Mom is a big hot meal, plan ahead time; I'm not.

Posted by VJ at June 17, 2007 8:58 AM

My mother-in-law comes to visit when my husband is out of town sometimes, same kind of gig.

Last time she told me about four times that she was OK with "eating whatever leftovers we have" for dinner, even after I told her that I'd been way too busy to cook over the weekend like I usually tro to do.

The next day I would get home from work, wiped out, at 6:30 PM. No food in the fridge to fix, and nothing taken out of the freezer to thaw out, even after I'd specifically asked her to see to dinner. The same reasoning your MIL had--"I didn't know what you wanted". Frustrating and weird.

She also didn't want to go out to eat anywhere the kids would actually eat anything (pizza? too greasy. Chinese buffet? too much food.) So we had soup and sandwiches for dinner 2 or 3 times while she was here, before I got smart enough to pick something up for dinner on the way home.

I know she doesn't love to cook, but I didn't realize how much I depend on Hubby to handle dinner until she pretty much refused to do it while he was gone.

Posted by Amy at June 19, 2007 10:32 AM

OMG!!! I think your MIL is my Mom!! No seriously, my mom will ask me what I want for dinner... (mine is helping as I have an 8 week old) but never make dinner. She will make a totally different dinner when she feels like it, invite my sister over, her friends and even maybe the whole neighbourhood. But she washes my dishes, she cleans my bathroom and she even mops my floor. So I think we have the same person in our homes.

Posted by Angie at June 20, 2007 2:35 AM