My Mother-in-law...

I know I'm walking on thin ice with this post but I thought the idea was funny and I had to get it on "paper."

My Mother-in-law is the sweetest woman-really she is! I'm not joking now, so stop snickering!

But I was just thinking tonight how hard it is for her to deal with me as a daughter-in-law. And that makes me snicker!

I invited Nate's parents over for dinner tonight. While we were having interrupted conversation over three little people vying for attention from the new people in the house Nate told her about someone from our past. When she remembered who it was she asked, "Didn't ___ have a drinking problem?" And what did I say in response?

"Oh, doesn't everyone have a drinking problem at some point in their life?" I thought it was funny but she just smiled and Nate felt the need to clarify..."you mean in college right?" Note- my mother-in-law has never had more than maybe one glass of wine in her life...and I'm not knocking her for it mind you!

Then later I proceeded to tell her the story of Elizabeth escaping from the house, under my protective - well not so protective- watch and running down the road. Now that a week has gone by I can laugh at this story (I was not laughing when it happened mind you) but I didn't get a laugh or even a gasp (as my own mother gave me) in response. Rather she got this shocked look and didn't say a word.

No word is worse than any word when you are the daughter-in-law.

I know being a mother-in-law is a very hard job when you have a son. It is quite different when you are the mother-in-law to a son-in-law...do you get what I'm saying? When it isn't your daughter's baby you can't just feed your grandchild anything you want - well, unless you want a dirty look and a nasty word said later to your son. You can't give unsolicited advice without taking a chance at ruining ever seeing your precious grandchildren again (just kidding on that one). It's definitely a fine line you walk with a daughter-in-law.

And I know I'm no easy daughter-in-law. When my first son was born my favorite thing to say was, "That's not in the book." At one point my m.in.law got so fed up with me saying this line she had a moment of weakness and blurted out, "That Book! That Book!" It was funny...well not at the time but now it is.

I use to make her and her mother cook vegetables for my first son in a separate pot with no butter or salt because you know "the book" said it would ruin their healthy little bodies! God love those women for putting up with me!

All that to say...I love my mother-in-law very much and can say honestly that we now have a wonderful relationship. I just laugh inside still at the many times I'm sure she is shaking her head at me when I show my true/wild spirit!

At least I learned how to make her famous sweet tea correctly (she did write her recipe on a card for me when I married her son, so I would know how to make his favorite drink). I think that won her over from the start - and well she likes to drink my sweet tea when she comes over. =)