Extended Family Bonding - what works?

So... realised that I had been using my blogging to help me deal with some difficult issues, and get some shit out that was causing me anxiety and depression.

But you guys deserve to hear about the good stuff too!! So in my next few blogs I'm going to talk about some of my best moments from the last while. By the way, things are going great right now, and I haven't felt this good since I was on anti-depressants! (I wish that was a joke, but it's not.)

My mum has let me know that they don't see enough of us, even though we live just a few miles away now, after living overseas for years! She said that she didn't want to do big Sunday dinners for all the family any more, as it's too much pressure for Lucas. She said she feels she hardly sees him any more, as we mostly get together for these big dinners, and he has meltdowns and disappears, or sometimes stays in the car and refuses to come in the house. So, upshot is they are going to come over for dinner on Tuesday night, after I finish work, it's going to be low-pressure normal family dinner, without sister and niece. I'm also going to find some things to do with mum and the kids at the weekend from time to time, trips out etc, maybe even join the National Trust (they're already members) so that we can go out to local stately homes and go for walks and stuff.

This might all sound kind of small, but in my life, it's huge! My adoptive mum is a very different character to me, not just down to the lack of aspergers on her side, but she's fairly uptight, growing up there was a big emphasis on the house, and the possessions, and not breaking stuff, I'm kind of the opposite. I think she's learning to be a bit more easygoing as she gets older!

A new approach to family time is on the cards then, I'm looking forward to it, and will let you know if we are successful!