bid Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Hi all, Allow me a Scrooge moment... I have just received one of those Christmas letters from a distant relative, which details month by month exactly what they have been doing, from every holiday to redecorating the house! Now, I realise I am feeling bitter and twisted, but I would just love to see their faces if I sent them a letter about our year! Or probably anyone on our forum! I know people think it's nice to share their news, but do they never think about those people who don't have flippin' achievements, holidays and any other wonderful thing you can think of to tell?? And now, from The Jester , to finish my rant... They said there'd be snow at Christmas But actually I have my doubts Alleluia! Noel! What a peculiar smell I think you've been eating the sprouts!! (Apologies to G. Lake, esq) Bid If this starts an argument about Christmas letters I promise I will moderate myself! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted December 19, 2005 One of my friends, who I do love dearly, just happens to also be one of the people I dislike most in the world and I really do hate to hear from her, even though I thorougly enjoy her company when I'm with her? Are you confused yet? Cos I am The thing is, she has one son. One son who happens to be brilliant at everything. He is fantastic at sports, particularly swimming and even though is only 10 has many trophies and badges. He's a social animal with a social diary busier than Jordan and Peter Andre He is extremely clever at EVERY ###### subject. Why am I telling you this?? Because she writes me a letter every Christmas with a blow by blow account of everything her son has achieved since the letter last year. When I tell her something about any of my children's meagre achievments (like William managed a whole week at school; he managed to get round the whole track on sports day etc etc) she quips back with a humongous brag. I'm sure she's very proud of him but do I really want my nose rubbed in it? Bah ###### humbug to braggy friends with their intollerably perfect kids Lauren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaisyProudfoot Report post Posted December 19, 2005 (edited) Having had one of those bad years we DID send a letter out and my husband ended it. "There is an old Chinese curse which says 'May you live in interesting times': So I'm wishing you all a very boring Christmas and an even duller new year!" Of course the usual felicitations were there too Edited December 19, 2005 by DaisyProudfoot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bookwyrm Report post Posted December 19, 2005 I think it must be very boring having perfect children, so you feel compeled to write about them and show off trying to wring some interest out of life Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kerre Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Yep, and if you convince yourself of that... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smallworld Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Hi, Simon Hoggard (Guardian journo)collects these letters (are they called 'round robins' ?) and has published a book of them. He's looking out for new ones , these seem just the thing wac Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barefoot wend Report post Posted December 19, 2005 We should send him ours then. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted December 19, 2005 We had a christmas card from my sister in law in Germany today and she wrote simply, "happiness comes in through doors you didn't know you had left open" how lovely is that, mind you she does have an Autistic son, so she knows what life is all about. Viper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancelot Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Well, last year we cracked and sent round a 'warts and all' letter (including NT son's splendid grade 'E' in Emotional Development). A surprising number of friends phoned to tell us it was the only non-smug letter they'd had, and what a lovely sense of humour we must have... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hollymg Report post Posted December 19, 2005 This hits a nerve because I just got my friend's letter detailing their usual year-long world travels with their THREE under-age-6 children, learning new languages and plans to renovate their million dollar house next year. As contrast, the title of my holiday letter was We Survive Another Year and under my 3yo dd's section was She Sleeps Through the Night! (Once). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted December 19, 2005 I await these every year with dread. I'd rather have one hand written line in a card to me personally than two pages of this kind of guff, and it's true, they are ALWAYS relentlessly upbeat, " The children have done well this year: Tristram has just been made president of a small African country and Lucinda has been awarded the Nobel prize for physics... etc.." I actually composed a newsletter of my own for the first time ever as we have had such a turbulent year and many people don't know about my daughter's ASD. It went against all my principles but I thought I'd better update everyone. When I read through what I'd written though, (an honest account of our year) it just sounded so horrendous and at odds with all the Christmas jollies: L's breakdown, muteness, aggression, isolation, educational battles, depression...I thought if anyone reads this they'll want to go and shoot themselves! So I didn't send it to anyone in the end. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jester Report post Posted December 21, 2005 Seasons greetings to all our many, many friends (worldwide) Has it really been a year since Marcus was made senior partner of Scrooge, Marley and Dickens? He is, of course, exhausted with commuting by helicopter every other day to Canary Wharf and I have been desperately trying to convince him that he IS worth his 7 figure salary even if he can't get into work every other day due to his co-chairmanships of Loadsadosh Bank, The Cupidity Corporation and Exploitatif Internazionale. Jocasta (moi!) is still filling her time with a 'pin money' job as an international human rights lawyer, but still finds time to be a parent governor at Victor's school. She has featured in 'Time' magazine this year following the unexpected success of her "Woven Lentil Bread for Afghan Refugees' campaign. She really didn't deserve the Nobel nomination and was relieved (no, honestly) not to win. Tamsin has obtained a double first from Oxford in Business Law and Japanese. She is considering a number of job offers from the States and Tokyo but has decided to take a year working with underprivileged children and 'finding herself' in the Peruvian rainforest. (Marcus didn't know she was lost there! Ha ha ha ha!!) Orlando has followed on from his 13 A* GCSEs by being made the youngest ever Head of School at St. Illegitimans College. he is Captain of the First XI, The First XV and as President of the Really Big And Impressive Debating Society has been recently described in the School Magasine as "One of the biggest Mass Debaters in the history of the school." Victor has just entered Year 9 and the dreaded 'options' loom. It will be very hard for him to decide which subjects he doesn't want to pursue. If only the timetable allowed him to do 15 GCSE's he'd be happy! (Or perhaps not: he might have to give up his drama, polo, karate, saxophone, street dancing or stop being a major-general in the cadet forces). Suki won Best of Breed at Crufts (again). Hope you can drop in if you're in the area. Any time .. you know how we are very much 'take us as you find us' people. So if you are driving through just contact the security official at the gate and let him know you're here to see us. Hope this finds you as it leaves us, M,wah M,wah. Love, Light and Serenity Marcus, Jocasta, Tamsin, Orlando And Victor. (Plus Suki, Agammemnon, Cuddles, Sun-Tzu, Floppy, Tiddles and Tonyblair the Rat) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
annie Report post Posted December 21, 2005 Brilliant Mine would be short and sweet - Spent half the year fighting ex-school/LEA. Had 1 week in Cyprus, NT son refused to come down to the pool for 5 days, he had the hump 'cos there weren't any other teenagers there (Son now renamed Kevin). Last few weeks have been spent trying to get an apology out of ex-school. Still not talking to half of DH's siblings (after approx 10 years). Happy New Year - I hope Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barefoot wend Report post Posted December 21, 2005 Spot on! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
littlenemo Report post Posted December 21, 2005 I have an american aunt who used to send these things every year, till the year one of her sons went from Wall Street to Drug Rehab. and the other took a shortcut and went straight from Yale to Drug Rehab. Now that was a good Xmas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted December 21, 2005 I just got one!! My sister lives in US. Every year we get one of these from her brother and sister in law. We have never ever met them but I knew we would get one. Today it arrived. I was killing myself laughing as I read it - this thread was going through my head the whole time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted December 23, 2005 Jester, Just received my third today. K Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barefoot wend Report post Posted December 23, 2005 I got some to. Aaaaaaarrrgggghhhhh! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
supersec Report post Posted December 23, 2005 never had one, never written one, never want one! Supersec Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reuby2 Report post Posted December 23, 2005 We have relatives in America and every year we get sent a kind of month by month account accompanied by cute pictures for every month last year.There is usually a "funny" poem about them as well. I know i'm a bah humbug but I think "what do I want to know that for!!" I find it offensive that someone will shove down your throat their year as If you care!!! Oh well, merry christmas one and all!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
