Yeah, we already sent the check, but geez louise.

they wrote the deposit check and each kid needs to send them $1,000 right away or their check will bounce.

I'd possibly be most mad about this part.

Also, my parents are having their 50th anniversary this year. We've talked about sending them on an Alaskan cruise....

At least they have a newer car.

They've been agitating about this car thing for a while, haven't they?

DH is totally livid about this, but then says, "We gave them a gift--I guess it's like they returned it for something else which they can do of course, but it feels really rude to me." I say it IS rude and he is not overreacting. What say you?

It's completely rude, not because they "returned" the gift, but because they put you in a poor position by writing the check without talking to you. He's not overreacting at all.

-ma to you that maybe it IS strep, smonster--cause then you'll get antibiotics, take them, and all will be well! As opposed to a cold which just knocks you out and nothing to be done.

ETA: OMG, there are things about my parents that drive me nuts, but I'm so glad they mostly have their shit together on things like that!! (Though when helping my hoarder dad clean his office, my sister found a few years of unfiled taxes...he figured they were getting money back, and he'd do them later, and never did. Oy!)

I'd go insane, Scrappy.

My sister and I are intending to send my parents on a cruise this year, and god damn it, they had better like their cars just fine. Because I will bitch forever if anything gets in the way.

they wrote the deposit check and each kid needs to send them $1,000 right away or their check will bounce.

Yeah, I'd be mad about that part. More than if they'd said, like, "aww, a cruise is nice of you! but we'd really rather have X..."

gaining weight on antiDs: I swear there hasn't been one that I haven't gained 15 or twenty pounds on. Even Welbutrin. The cumulative effect being ridiculous. I know that changes in my lifestyle, not to mention getting into my 40s, would put weight on me if I weren't careful, and I haven't been particularly careful! but to gain *this much* is ridiculous. I weigh 100 pounds more than I should, and I never thought I should be skinny either. It's very frustrating.

Dana--yes, they have. First, FiL wanted a new Mustang and asked us to cosign for him, which we didn't. They live in a nice house on SiL's property with nominal rent, which they don't always pay and other sister sends them some money every month. We don't, since DH moved out when he was 16 and they haven't contributed a dime since them--he worked his way through college and grad school.We send them presents and have them stay in out house on visits and buy them meals and everything, we just don't give them extra money. DH's dad was an engineer, it's not like they couldn't have saved some money along the way.

It's very rude, but what can you do?

Not write a check under these circumstances, that's for damned sure. That's not a gift, that's coercion.