It is my mum's birthday tomorrow, not a milestone one just a birthday! But I opened my emails this morning to find a message from my sister (she only communicates via email and stays a stone's throw away!). It said that she and my other sister had bought my mum a digital camera, did I want to "chip-in"? They did this last year with the Tassimo coffee maker that she never uses - I chipped in then as I was put on the spot and was not able to say NO! But this year I will not be chipping in.
They have this idea that we have to spend loads on birthdays - they only ever get me a cheap bottle of wine out of Tesco or make-up .... I don't wear any make-up! I haven't got Mum anything yet but I sure as heck ain't chipping in for something they decided on, bought and then thought let's asks Jen to pay her share! They can take a run and jump!
I am kinda licking my wounds family wise anyway. On Friday I asked my mum to sit in the house whilst I took J to nursery as we were getting the floor done and so didn't want to leave the house unattended. She said that because my little sister was on holiday she would need to see as she had wanted to do something. First I knew she was on holiday and she had already been off all week! Anyway I got a call back to say that Mum would be able to take him up but not collect as my sister had had some devastating news. The younger brother of her boyfriend's friend had been killed in a motorbike accident and so she really didn't want to be on her own. Fair enough if you had been close but she'd only met the guy once. I am not being heartless, it is a tragic waste of a young life but bikes are for fools! I have lost several friends of my husband, one due to cancer, one due to being hit by a car as he walked on a pavement and another through a head trauma from falling at work. (Not because they were going too fast and overtaking where they shouldn't have been - lucky no-one else was hurt!) Yes, I was affected by them all but I was able to deal with and move on - does that make me callous or a realist? 
My Mum has the way of over dramatising everyone's feelings - but when it comes to me she more or less suggests that "that's life, so build a bridge and get over it!".
I hardly ever ask for people to sit with the kids but when I do it is usually for something that really needs done - unlike my sister who pans her two off most weekends so she can go out on the lash! I don't know if Mum is being ackward because I don't ask her more often - she thinks my MIL gets them more than her and vice versa - or if she just thinks that because she doesn't get to look after them often then why should she do it when I really need her!
Better stop there before I bring you down anymore with my Monday Moan - on the bright side - Did I tell you my floor is the dog's bollocks!!?