Family Issues and Reunions

This week we go to a Family Reunion in Springfield, Missouri. We have done this almost every year since I was a baby. Bringing DM is really the reunion coming full circle. In fact he'll get to meet his Great-Grandmother. She won't remember him, but I plan to shoot a picture of the moment.

The rumor behind the reunion is that I was the catalyst. I was either just born or still in my mom's womb when my mom and Grammy (my dad's mom) got in a spat. This was a common theme. Regardless, Grammy realized she wouldn't get to see me so invited the whole family to her place for July 4th. Thus until last year, it was July 4th.

Last year the decision was made to move it due to work, and this year as well (though this year was more contentious and odds that it'll be back on the 4th next year). I am very worried about the trip. But first, lets understand the players:

The Uncles - My Uncles Harold and Stuart., my father's brothers. Harold is older, Stuart is younger.

Kara - My little sister, 4 year younger then me. She spent time with the baby in Washington Island and he seemed pretty okay with her.

Ariel - 4 months younger then me. My favorite cousin. She can't make it this year.

Peri - 3.5 years younger then me. The youngest of the 'older' cousin set. Married to Siece.

Mariah - 4 years younger then me, six weeks older then Kara. I like Mari and we've found more and more in common as of late. Has a long term boyfriend named Eric.

Libbi- 6 years younger and almost exactly 2 years younger then Mari. Libbi is a train wreck. She was pregnant a few years ago, but got an abortion. Currently engaged to a man at least my age if not older. She is worth a whole post herself. She is also, besides James, the only one still in school.

Brittany - Brit is 6 months younger then Libbi. She lived with us for a while but had to go back to Kansas due to personal issues. She is really good with the baby. She is a bit train wrecky but has been trying to improve her life. Brit is also the only second cousin that is worth mentioning.

Siece - Now to the bulk of the introductions. Siece is Peri's wife. Siece and Peri live in our Grammy's house. Siece is OCD and she has NEVER gotten alone with James. James likes pranks and Siece takes everything personally. James also likes to brag and decided to brag that we had sex in one of the shower (much to my shock, I'm close to my cousins but that was crossing a line). Siece freaked out, even when we (lying) told her it was a joke. Interestingly enough Mari doesn't get along with her either.

Anyway, I've only skipped out two or three years. Once was because of summer school. Once was the Wedding. See, I LOVE Peri. Siece I'm less sold on, but Peri loves Siece therefore I tried to make a show. But I found myself getting very paranoid and jelious.

When I got married to James, I asked two people from my family to be in my wedding: My sister and Ari. Ideally I would have asked all of them to stand up there, but I didn't and I didn't want to get into a 'why was X chosen and not me' situation. I chose Ari because I was, and still am, the closest with her.

But with Peri, everyone except for me and Mari were in the Wedding Party. Libbi (which, duh), Kara, Ari. Brit wasn't either, but for many a reason that was less of an issue. In addition, they made it on a terrible weekend.

When I was planning our wedding, I chose a weekend that was near enough to the reunion (which we skipped that year) so that people could easily go from Chicago to Springfield and make it there on the 4th. It was about a week beforehand.

They planned theirs for the weekend AFTER. The 4th was in the middle of the week and they chose a day that a LOT of people were trying to get married on. Personally it was a bad time. I had no job and it's always a lot of money. James was working but had been in the position for less then a year. Therefore we skipped. Mari skipped the wedding. She said she felt 'uncomfortable'.

Now I'm worried that Siece and I are about to butt heads again.

Last year, I was four and a half months pregnant. Just pregnant enough to be uncomfortable. Plus I was still suffering from bad heartburn (which didn't go away till delivery) and bad morning sickness. I was kind of limited on what I could eat, since a dozen different foods made me throw up, plus if I got too hungry I threw up (which seemed backwards and unfair to me).

Siece said she made plans but never actually double checked anything. After finding that the place she swore was open wasn't, it took 40 minutes to find another place. The place? Mexican Food which was off limits for me (which was sad cause I love it) as both previous times I had tried Mexican, including Taco Bell (which isn't) it came back up. I voiced my objection and was quickly ignored because 'well they can seat all of us, and we are hot and hungry.'

James and I went to Panara. I wound up getting a little sick from the sheer amount of time it took. After eating, we went to meet up with the group. We found out that the next planned activity wasn't going to occur until 4 (again, Siece had promised it would be open and it wasn't). The new activity was WINDOW SHOPPING and maybe Thrift store shopping. Right. Exactaly what the hot pregnant woman and her husband wanted to do! We went, with Brit, to see Hellboy 2.

When we arrived, at 4, just some other cousins (Rob and Nancy) were there. Not the people we went to hang out with. So we played a bunch of games, and were getting ready to leave when everyone showed up. By that point I decided a nap would be good and we went back to the house. We were told "Chedders at 7 for dinner!"

That sounded like a reservation to me, and we left the house only to get half way there and be told that no, we were going to Red Robin (which is very close to Chedders) because Chedders couldn't seat 14 people quickly. Um no. Most places can't. That's why you call ahead.

The rest of teh weekend didn't improve.

So I've decided that when I get down there, reservations are getting made because I'm not playing the 'wait 2 hours' or the 'moving around' game with a hungry infant. It seems like a bad set up. Ari was going to help me with this but found out late she couldn't come.

Siece is not going to be happy. I already can't get her to respond to emails/pms/chats/wall posts about the schedule. Anything else totally, but not that. So headbutting. But you do what you have to do with an infant.

This was a lot longer then expected.