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Talk about a controlling mini-wife!

Disillusioned's picture

H's sister has always been inhospitable, rude and barely civil to me. From day one, she went out of her way to make it clear at H's family events that she did not consider me part of her family and I was nothing more than an (unwelcome) visitor in her family home

H's sister could only get so far with this while MIL was still around. From the beginning I always offered my help to MIL during family get together's and she took me up on it. I was running around serving guests their drinks, serving appetizers, setting the table, letting everyone know where they were seated for dinner, etc.. etc..all per MIL's instructions

When MIL passed away FIL initially depended on me to do a lot . Rather than having MIL there to plan the dinner menu and all, FIL would simply ask H and I to bring certain dishes, H's sister to bring another, and usually H's eldest daughter to bring dessert, with YSD not expected to contribute

H and I would end up providing most of the food, cooking pretty much everything, and doing most of the work. YSD would arrive asking me what was for dinner, where was everyone sitting, etc.. etc..

This was just initially what happened. Very soon and very suddenly after MIL died, H's sister decided that she and "her family" would plan everything and do everything and made sure I was completely excluded. H's sister made a very big deal out of this by suddenly deciding one year at a family get together's at FIL's that she and the family (me totally excluded) would decide what day Christmas dinner would be held on, who would be invited, what the menu would be and who would be cooking what. H's sister included every member of "the family" except me of course - the non blood member. H's sister really exaggerated it all assigning tasks to each person to keep everyone busy doing something prior to dinner including H and FIL but left it so everyone was running around doing as she dictated except me who would be standing around feeling useless.

Anyway it totally back fired as I couldn't be happier to sit back and watch the chaos and power struggle between H's sister and his daughter as both felt they should dictate all family events, the only thing they agreed on is that I should be treated as a nothing more than someone to ignore.

Anyway, it has been this way for a few years now and I have happily sat back and done nothing and watched them stress out and screw up dinner and get irritated with each other and look exhausted at the end of the night. I enjoy my food and wine and talking with those who are civil to me and no longer stress about anything at all

However, FIL moved recently and can no longer accommodate a large amount of guests in his home. He is in a little place with a dining room for six. H's sister's dining room can accommodate even less at 4. So, now the dilemma of where to host H's family events.

H of course decides that he should be doing this at our home but of course he doesn't mean he or we even, he means me.

FIl had moved right before Father's Day and H didn't know what to do. H said either his daughter would host it or we would. I knew there was no way H's eldest daughter would host Father's Day, she feels H should consider himself lucky that she even shows up for Father's Day and gives him a small gift card and Father's Day card. I know she would gladly host any family event with the exception of Father's Day so I knew that meant I would be hosting it and sure enough, H's eldest declined to host so H said we were. And of course, a few days before the dinner H tells me his sister would not be coming, that she was "so confused over who was hosting and when" that she 'accidentally' made plans on that day. We learned from FIL she had taken him out for dinner the night before. I knew she just couldn't handle that it would be hosted in my home, with her not being able to control everything, and would have no say in the menu I served, where everyone sat, etc.. etc..

Anyway, so dh says to me tonight that FIL's birthday is coming up and we should host it, that he is going to tell FIL this. I'm laughing to myself as I know both H's sister and his eldest daughter will have a problem with that. It will either be hosted at H's daughter's house or suddenly FIL will be cramming everyone in his home, with H's sister dictating everything

For my part I could care less, just laughing at the lengths H's sister will go to be the one with all the "power" what a joke

oldone's picture

You are making me very afraid. I haven't met DH's younger sister. She was #4 out of 5 and supposedly is the "golden girl".

She and her husband have the biggest house, etc. When DH moved in with me she only lived 2-3 miles away. I think it is very strange that I never met her before she and her husband moved to another state.

I get the impression that she likes having the biggest home, the most successful husband, the kids who went to the most prestigious schools, etc. I can't see myself bowing down to worship her.

She lives in a nice area of north Dallas and likes to brag about how "special" it is. I think that is stupid. I hope she tries that crap on me because I used to live in Highland Park which is the most exclusive part of Dallas (of course it was 30 years ago when it didn't cost what it does now).

Disillusioned's picture

Your SIL and mine sound a lot alike dtzyblnd!

You're so fortunate to be spared the task of having to have her in your home Smile

I knew H's sister would pull some stunt to prevent FIL's birthday dinner being hosted by H and I...well it's just me she has the real issue with!

H surprised me yet again by just telling me that FIL told him that H's sister is hosting it in her home. Ha! This is the first time H's sister has ever hosted anything. She only has dining room seating for 4! There will be minimum 7 attending :?

I figured she would settle for the lesser of two evils and have it hosted at H's eldest daughter's....but I guess H's sister is so much in need of being the mini-wife to FIL and that everyone know she is the one in charge that she will have everyone into her home instead

Even funnier as she never has invited dh and I into her home unless she needs dh to do something. The one and only time we have been in this recent (moved in a few years ago) house of hers she was more than accommodating to tour H around but did not offer the same to me...H had to insist that I join. Like what was I supposed to do, stand around in the front lobby until they came back?!

And considering what H's sister pulled when I first visted her previous house I wasn't comfortable with that either. When we were at her prior house (again I've only been there when H went to do something and it was on our way home together from work)and after that visit the first time H's sister called him a few days later asking if I had by any chance removed a book from her book shelf when I used the washroom near her library. WTF??? I was furious. After H told her of course not I wouldn't touch a thing in her home let alone remove it she then discovered that it was there all along. Grrrr!!

Disillusioned's picture

Sorry oldone, didn't mean to scare you Sad

What's scary about my H's sister oldone is she is 7 years older than me and she still behaves this immaturely! H was always the 'golden child' in his family and his sister lived in his shadow. As long as I've known H, he and his sister have had a real love/hate relationship. H's sister is the type to bad-mouth behind someone's back "orchestrate" as H refers to it...and she has done a great job of picking H apart over the years to their parents (how awaful he was to BM with cheating on her and all, he drinks too much, he treats her badly, blah blah blah...she starts so many family arguments by yelling and accusing H of things it isn't funny :jawdrop: ) so that now she is in the favored child position and has FIL always hearing all the things H suppossedly does wrong, always having to come to H's sister's resue, always think she is the poor good dauther :sick: ) She has never been married, never even had a bf in all the years H and I have been together, no children. I really think she has way too much time to think about all this family crap - and of course ways to insure I feel like a total outsider in it all

Your H's sister sounds like she also is a bit of a snob! I hope she doesn't start any of this crap with you. If she does, I've learned simply disengaging from H's sister has been great. At their family get together's I sit back, enjoy my wine and silently laugh at all the vicious drama she tries to stir up, especially with me!