Avoiding the In-Laws During Winter Holidays

In six years of marriage, I've never, ever been to my in-laws for a major holiday. Not for Christmas, not for Thanksgiving, not for Easter, not even for the Fourth of July. When I'm holiday planning, I just don't include them in the equation. And to be honest, I hope I never have to go. I've been able to avoid going thus far because of a series of great excuses: pregnancy, a new baby, various moves, vacations, a sore throat (that was a good one), yada yada. But now I've run out of viable excuses and I know I'm expected to show up this year—and I just can't deal.

I want to be with my family—during the winter holidays, Christmas morning ... and Easter Sunday and Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve! It's not that I don't like my in-laws. Actually, I love them. But Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without my mom. I want my daughter to experience my family traditions, not someone else's (even if that someone else happens to be her father). I know that I'm terribly selfish. I feel like I'm being a crappy wife. But I just can't help it! I need to start working out my excuse for this holiday season, pronto. Maybe I'll have to get knocked up again. Toss in the newborn time period and I can buy myself another two years, minimum. Hey, it worked last time!