Need to Vent................

Hang in there! You just do what you feel is best for you and yours. NOT the extended family, your husband and kids!

As for MIL, if she has that attitude for no reason, it's probably just better you stay in a hotel. I know how you feel, believe me! My dad is like that sometimes when we go out to GA to see my family. It breaks my heart, but it's better than hanging around him when he is in a mood. Then it just brings everyone down.

Aunt Flo has left here, sorry she is back at your house. LOL! I remember a couple years ago, a whole bunch of us were on the same cycle. It was really wierd all of us having her visit at the same time!

You get to go to the store with no kids?! Wow! I tried that once. Don't want to do it again any time soon. I've gotten so I talk to whatever kid I'm with, and not really talk about anything, just ramble. People look at me funny when I talk to the empty cart. So I must always have a kid with me to keep from looking too crazy.

Have these people who don't want you to move never heard of the following great inventions: the wheel and the airplane (for travel purposes), the mail, e-mail, and the telephone for communication purposes? Do they think you are going to move to Mars?

Sarcasm over. For your children: I used to give seminars part-time for Military and State Department "brats" (figure of speech, they were great kids) and the standard activity book we used was "Goodbye House," which should be available at most bookstores. It is lots of fun and tends to cheer them up about moving. It looks a little childish, but even pre-teens end up enjoying it.

The funny thing is that the more they talk the more we want to move! I guess they don't understand how we can't stand material things. For these people who technicaly are family but I don't feel "connected" to them whatsoever, it's about what kind of car you drive (they all drive lifted SUV's with DVD players inside) The car is the only place I have my kids strapped in with no distractions! I actually talk to my kids! A concept that they dont understand!What clothes you wear or how anal you are about your house being spotless. And you know my house may not be spotless all the time but at least my kids dont have issues like them. My cousin suffers from trichotillomania (a form of O.C.D. when you pull your hair out) and no one ever talks about it or the fact that she always wears hats and sprays hair on. She was neglected with a compulsive mom who never let her be a kid. ALL of my other cousins are drunks. So at least I don't push my kids aside to finish doing the dishes and I will stop cleaning, organizing or talking to read to my kids or maybe just lay with them and giggle. And in the long run I wont be lying on my death bed hoping I would of spent some more time with my kids, Am I going to wish I cleaned the house more? Yeah right!!
O.k. guess I'm not over my issues..........sorry!
Amee

This move is exactly what you need by the sounds of it. I'm afraid that most *issues* can't be ignored or gotten over, especially if the problems are other people's causing disruption in your life. I've found I can actually be polite to my grandmother when I visit my parents now (she lives 5mins away!), because I know she's not my problem and I'll be going a long way away in a few weeks. I don't enjoy her company, but I put on a pretty good act, knowing that the people affected by my behaviour towards her are actually my parents.

She'll never change (she has a personality disorder - she's a bitch!) so being far, far away has given me a lot of perspective. Your family won't change either, so at least by not having them around every day you'll be able to get on with your life and grit your teeth for short visits!

Kerri.