Why did I get up today?

[Cadam]

My sister screwed up. She screwed up big time. Huge in fact. We are leaving for a family reunion Wednesday morning. While there my mother will have her 50th birthday. I was in charge of pulling off the touching, time consuming very personal gift for my dad's 50th a month ago. My sister was in charge of pulling off my mom's gift. The fact that she had altered the original plan at least twice because she forgot to do time sensitive steps (like sending out letters to a bunch of people 6 weeks in advance...) should have indicated to me that she wasn't going to follow through.

I just could not conceive of her dropping a ball this big! Now her plan is to send my mom flowers. Don't get me wrong, flowers are nice but with 4 months of planning and gee, my sister is in her 30's! I guess I thought this time she would pull it off. Flowers are not good enough for Mom's 50th birthday and I have about 24 hours to pack a family of 5 for 10 days and now, find a meaningful and personal gift for my mother's birthday.

There are not enough of these for the kind of day I am having. :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

[Whisperlily]

*giggle*

I'm guessing you're the big sister?


Seriously, I'm sorry you're stressed over this. If you really feel that you need to step in, can you delegate tasks to your sister in order to accomplish your goal?

Sis, call x,y,z store. Find x,y,z. Can you give her a nudge. Have you told her you don't think it's good enough? Have you told her you feel that you need to step in? Maybe she would give it another good try if she knew you felt this way?

[Rhondabee]

No offense to you, I promise.

I have sisters-in-law that can do the whole scrap-book thing. It appears to be effortless on their part. I personally would rather spend 3 years in Azkaban.

But, in the past, I have let them guilt me into agreeing to do such things which are not in my nature. (No more! - and, maybe this will be your sister's time to wake up and realize she doesn't have to be a second you.) Obviously, gift-giving is part of your love-language. But, maybe not hers. And, you obviously derived some satisfaction from the gift you made your dad. Maybe your sister just isn't that way?

(Though she shouldn't have agreed to let your present for dad be from both of you. From now on, you will both have a better idea where to draw those boundaries.)

Really, I don't even remember what I got my mom for her 50th b-day. (Or my brother, either.) And, I surely hope that your mom knows both you and your d-sister well enough by now to know what your various strengths are. I bet your mom is fully expecting flowers from your sister!

Looking on the bright side, this means you have the chance to put together a really good present for your mom for Christmas (or "just because"). I bet yours will be much better than anything your sister would have done!

Try to have a good time anyway!
Rhonda

[Cadam]

Actually, I'm the little sister. This actually was a scrap book thing but the things is, she was a Creative Memories consultant for goodness sake! I was not exactly asking her to do something outside of her comfort zone and it was her idea anyway. Now she has all of the pictures in another state and there is no way for me to fix this!

Is it Mrs. Mungo that has the quote in her sig. ? "I'm having the kind of day that would make St. Francis of Assisi kick babies" I am taking that for the day.

:glare:

[j.griff]

Hugs (if ya want 'em). That sounds unbearably frustrating. Wish I could teleport the photos to you.

[Rhondabee]

I'm thinking if your sister brought the photos, etc. with her, then you, your mom and your sister could all sit around together mulling over photos, grouping them together, and talking about all the memories. You could do the scrapbook then and there, or just put the pics and notes, etc. in envelopes for someone to do later.

So, that way, mom's present isn't "just a scrapbook", but hours spent with her daughters; and eventually, a scrapbook that will help her remember those hours?

Maybe?

Anyway, hope you have a great time!