My Mother-In-Law

I am not going to commit an act of violence.

I am not going to commit an act of violence!

I'mnotgonnacommitanactofviolence!!!... but God save me, I'd like to.

Ahem.

So... last week, during my wife's weekly conversation with that leathery winged harpy that she calls "mother", my daughter gets on the phone, and of her own volition says: "grandma, can you buy me a computer for Christmas?" Apparently Grandma makes affirmative noises which pleases my little one to no end. After getting the phone back, my wife talked to her mother and all was well.

Fast forward to this week's call. The little one talks to grandma, who immediately after saying hello says: "why don't you ask your other grandmother for a computer?", which Olivia, dutifully, said she would do. My harpy-in-law then ended the conversation. Of course, we knew none of this until after my wife finished her conversation. Olivia was upset and didn't understand why grandma had abruptly changed course.

It's not like she does much for the kid in the first place... not that we really expect her to, all the way from Milwaukee... but, geez!

OK... a few comments:

1) My in-laws are retired... My FIL is a retired railway worker and a retired soldier (from the Army as a Sergeant Major). MIL, as the wife of a retired railway worker gets a separate pension of her own. They prepared well for retirement. they live their days with absolutely no worries about money, thank God.

2) Computers can be pricey.

3) Little kids say unexpected things.

4) It is ok to say no.

5) My wife and I can afford to buy the kid a computer (and will), but she never said a thing about it to us... as she can use ours, I guess.

What pissed me off about the whole thing is that MIL should have said something to one of us adults instead of just shooting the kid down a week after she said she would buy the freakin' computer!

During our phone call next week, I intend to speak to MIL about this. When the conversation is over, she won't be happy, the irritating mean-spirited, old bitch!