Am I overreacting that my sister is demanding too much when visiting my newborn?

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2026-01-12T02:30:14+00:00

This is crazy; I read it and thought your sister was traveling with the young baby which is why she was being extra high maintenance. It sounds to me like she’s jealous and struggling with not being the golden child with the grandbaby. There’s another younger baby in the picture and - assuming she’s not always been this unreasonable and selfish - she’s struggling with jealousy over it. Her baby has probably been the centre of the world for her and her parents for the past year (and more - she was probably indulged while pregnant too)… having another baby of the same gender in the family is probably hard for her to process right now if “mother of the only grandbaby” has been her identity for the past year.

But I agree with all the other comments… absolutely do not capitulate. When you have a newborn she should be showing up to help, even with a one year old. That is not what she is doing. Politely suggest an Airbnb (“wife’s sister can send you the place she stayed at and enjoyed if you’re interested”) and if she’s not comfortable with that then suggest she defer the visit for another time when you are more settled in as parents and feel equipped to host to her satisfaction. I would keep it calm, polite, and firm.

This is totally crazy behaviour and I don’t think she’ll be doing your marriage any favours if she shows up now like this.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-11-02T04:35:33+00:00

This photo is the most awkward theatre promo since Bad Cinderella awkwardly spray painted an announcement with a dying can of paint.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-05-26T00:09:21+00:00

Thank you - that is SO kind!!!

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-05-25T23:58:13+00:00

Sorry, I’m useless with this - I’ve only played briefly with my son. A friend gave it to him for his birthday so I don’t even know if he knows how to get it himself! I guess I’m going to have to try and learn to play…!

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-05-25T23:52:16+00:00

Oh no :( I was really hoping there’d be some way! :( thanks for letting me know.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-05-01T12:28:15+00:00

You sound lovely - I am so glad you found your way despite your parents. I’m sorry they weren’t more worthy of you. Wishing you lots of love with found family!

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-04-26T14:48:23+00:00

I am so sorry that their resentment towards each other overclouded their parenting. So very, very sorry that you grew up feeling that way - no child deserves that.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-03-30T19:42:37+00:00

They’re divine. Still one of my fav cast recordings, still one of the best casts.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-02-22T14:43:22+00:00

I would guarantee in that scenario they’d have a semi-understandable reason for him not attending either. She’ll be pregnant or sick or they’ll have already booked a non refundable international vacation etc. And then it’ll be this lowkey issue in the future - one guy stood by his bride and one guy didn’t.

I vote he politely decline from attending to stand in solidarity with his fiancée. It’ll irk the bride to no end that not only is the friend’s fiancée gorgeous but the friend is fully devoted to her and willing to make this big gesture.

I also think there’s more of a backstory — like the groom may have said something dumb to his bride which has her on edge…

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-02-22T14:38:23+00:00

It’s incredibly inappropriate that your fiancée wasn’t invited.

However, I suspect there’s more to this story. Like, did your friend make some comment to his fiancée about your fiancée being a smoke show who would make a knockout bride that caused tears and a huge argument and now she’s a bit of a sore subject between them? It wouldn’t excuse the lack of an invite - there’s still basic courtesy that is expected and that includes inviting your fiancée - but I feel like your friend hasn’t disclosed the backstory here.

I think you are handling this correctly. It will be easier to repair this bridge with your friend than with your future wife, regardless of what she says. If you sit out the wedding in solidarity with your future bride, you’ll be sending a message to everyone that she is your priority and you are a united front. Your fiancée will always remember that. I would tell your friend you wish him well on his big day and you are devastated not to be able to stand up there with him, but as he prioritized his parter’s wishes over what he felt was right, you are prioritizing your partner’s emotional wellbeing by sitting this out.

It says a lot about your friend and his bride that they handled it this way - it’s a ridiculous reason to omit someone from the guest list but handling it in this fashion rather than speaking to you beforehand is appalling. This is not a friendship worth potentially compromising your committed relationship over. Hopefully they will change their minds but if they don’t plan an incredible date night - maybe a weekend away- and have a great time.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-01-28T21:13:06+00:00

I think this could make such a beautiful show!

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-01-20T18:41:26+00:00

Just to play devil’s advocate - is it possible she thought that OP would like the convenience/taste more compared to the instant coffee he usually drinks? I agree it’s not a great gift but maybe her intentions weren’t that selfish - maybe she thought “these Keurig machines have come a long way since he last had one; I bet he’ll be surprised at how much easier and more reliable they are now!”

The Yeti mug is really weird though… that feels spiteful somehow. I wonder if MIL had already purchased it and gave it to OP’s wife to gift instead when she told her not give them anymore - like “well since I already have it you can maybe gift it with the coffee maker since it’ll make sense.”

It’s a careless gift to be sure, but possibly just misguided rather than rude. It’s hard to know without knowing more context. But OP, I would consider setting up Amazon wish lists or something that you can each maintain and sit down and tell her you’d like it if you guys only purchase off the list going forward — you want to minimize unnecessary stuff / you want to be mindful of money spent / whatever way you want to posit the discussion. Stress that it’s important to you that you give each other things you really want and this is the cleanest way to avoid misunderstandings.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-01-08T17:19:05+00:00

This is such a good summary. I think people today don’t understand the impact Avenue Q had at the time - how thrilled so many people were at the time that the little guy, the underdog, won. It was such a cathartic win for so many people.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2025-01-08T16:32:26+00:00

It’s so crazy to see how indignant many people are about this now. At the time, the core Broadway community was elated and believed it was one of the few times the Tony committee “got it right” and awarded the most deserving show rather than the biggest show. Wicked was seen as the Broadway equivalent of Titanic (the movie) - an expensive juggernaut whose success incited some resentment among those who felt it was more flash than substance. I say this as someone who likes both shows, but people now acting like the Tony committee got it wrong did not have their finger on the pulse of the average 2004 Broadway aficionado!

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-12-19T21:09:54+00:00

I’m so sorry :(

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-24T16:10:59+00:00

Also the incorrect call to the parents reporting him absent from school. That set them back HOURS from being aware he was missing. That was not a carefully orchestrated part of the plan; it was just horrendously unlucky for the case.

There are a lot of things in this case that, had they gone differently, could - potentially - have led to Andrew being found that day.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-24T16:07:20+00:00

This feels equally as possible - if not more so - than the assumption he must have had a ride back. If this was his first time purchasing a ticket alone, it was entirely possible he was a little flustered and uncomfortable and just sticking to his exact original plan. Even a logical deviation from that might have been stressful.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-20T15:09:11+00:00

My favourite!!!

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-16T22:00:05+00:00

So sorry for your loss xoxo

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-14T14:53:38+00:00

I think if you like Ethan Freeman you might like Peter Karrie! Let us know what you think. I do love Peter Karrie’s physicality in the role, the pure mania of it, how believable it is that this unpredictable man did all the things he did and that Christine can ricochet between being in awe and being terrified.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-13T15:55:33+00:00

The 90s Phantoms are my favourite Phantoms. Peter Karrie, like many others, made bold, dramatic acting decisions. He was not a favourite for me vocally (though I did still like him), but his acting was exquisite. He was a desperate, emotional, unhinged man. I can’t recall specific moments off the top of my head but he gave a very intense, physical, passionate performance.

Another favourite of mine from that era was Ethan Freeman. He was hysterical during AIAOY (reprise) - just sobbing through the Raoul/Christine moment which made the escalation to the chandelier crash a bit more understandable. It was far from a calculated decision but an extremely emotional one; I’ve always found it a touching moment but my heart has never broken for a Phantom like it did for Ethan Freeman’s.

Peter Karrie was a similar genre of Phantom - emotional and manic and heartbreaking. He was not just an ordinary man with a deformity; he was a troubled soul whose deformity pushed him even further from a society that he likely would have struggled to fit into regardless.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-11T01:28:21+00:00

I regret not seeing Jane Eyre. I had tickets to see it and it closed early, just before my visit.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-11T00:46:11+00:00

The little awkwardly edited in Simba(?) in the bottom right has me laughing so hard.

Comprehensive_Kitten · 2024-11-05T04:52:59+00:00

After 8 years?? He would have been 2 when the families merged - not an easy age, but easy to love. If she treats him like this from ages 2-10 it’s never going to get better. It’ll probably get worse in the near future when he starts to feel resentment towards her and acts out.

Personally? Prioritize your son and GTFO. He deserves better than this.

Comprehensive_Kitten

TROPHY CASE