Inviting the in-laws for a visit

One of the issues with my MIL is she is pushier than anyone I know. She's a successful salesperson, so being pushy is something she is rewarded for in her business.

MIL: When can we come up for a visit?

Us: How about these three days? School is closed during this time so it would be great if you could help out and spend the days with "your grandchild" while we are at work. (They are semi-retired and have flexible schedules and the flight up here is just an hour.)

MIL: No, that's too short of a time, not worth the effort. We need to come up for a longer time.

OKAY! Our issue is that 3 days is the maximum amount of time we can spend with them without going crazy or saying something to my MIL that we may regret.

We haven't replied to her yet. I got this reply from a friend who has had her share of in-law incidents. I think it's fabulous.

Us: We'd love to have you come up during this time, hopefully you can find a way to make it work. (aka "Take it or leave it, beggars can't be choosers.")

Here's a tip: Stick to your guns.

Gertie, she's no Kasparov

Gertie just doesn't get it. Right now she's playing the game with us that since we haven't called her, she's not calling us.

And guess what? That's just fine with us, we love these Gertie-free times. The less we hear from her the better. She just wants to see her grandkid, so let me ask you this: Who's the big loser in this game?

Gertie, put away your chessboard and go back to Candyland.

Meet My Mother-in-Law, "Gertie"

I have a mother-in-law. Let's call her Gertie. And yes, she is from hell. Think if Roseanne Barr was your MIL.

I've known her now for 12 long years so I have a lot of stories to tell about her. I tried to be friends with her (she has only two sons and has always wanted a daughter to be her "best friend"), which is what she really wants. But with MILs like Gertie, if you give them an inch they want to take a mile, and then some.

I have advice on how to deal with someone like Gertie in situations like wedding planning and child-rearing, to everyday things like how to deal with her rude behavior (like putting her bunion-covered feet on the coffee table) and uncomfortable comments and questions (like "How come you don't like me?")