aww, a cruise is nice of you! but we'd really rather have X..."

This, at which point the kids could have decided if they wanted to shift their gift.

Wow. I'd faint dead away before doing something like that with such a lovely and generous gift. Now, given my motion sickness issues, I would have as humbly as possible suggested the alternative, but NEVER a demand like that. Just. wow.

quick healing ~ma, smonster!

What everyone said, Scrappy. If they were my parents, I'm not sure if I'd be mad - but I'd probably be hurt by their reaction.

Dana--yes, they have. First, FiL wanted a new Mustang and asked us to cosign for him, which we didn't.

This just makes it worse - it's doing an end run around something they already know you don't really want to support.

smonster, i hope your throat clears up quickly. that's just miserable.

Scrappy, another vote for "insanity." Who buys their own gift and then guilts their kids into paying for it? That's extremely rude.

This just makes it worse - it's doing an end run around something they already know you don't really want to support.

brenda makes an excellent point.

Agree on the rude, Scrappy. Disliking a gift is one thing, but the demand-making sounds horribly irritating.

Ugh Scrappy. I cannot imagine my parents ever doing something like that.

I say it IS rude and he is not overreacting. What say you?

Hugely rude. I'd be livid.

Not that I wouldn't have just sent the check this time but I'd be really wary of doing anything nice in the future that could be warped. Grrrr.

I hope you get a treatable diagnosis soon, smonster. Would you like me to pick up anything for you? Orange juice or whatever? Just give me a call if you need anything.

Scrappy, yes, that was rude. I'd be pretty pissed off.