How to Live with Your Mother-in-Law (for the Summer)

Sometimes in life you find yourself in what can only be described as the plot of sitcom. It seems fitting that with shows like "How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" that I would be finding myself in a similar situation.

Last weekend my mother-in-law moved in. While it's not for the rest of our lives, it is for the summer and we'll have to wait and see if that feels like an eternity for all parties involved. She arrived Friday with enough booze to outfit a college frat party and the widest selection of weight loss teas I've ever seen. The dust has yet to settle, but so far there's been one awkward conversation with my landlord that almost resulted in our rent being raised, one incident of nearly burning the place down when the heater in the bathroom was left on and a questionable decision to leave twenty glass bottles of booze in the direct path of a 10-month old. Needless to say we are still adjusting.

It's not going to be easy on any of us, but I'm looking at the positives. There's a second native speaker to start exposing Em to French, maybe I can actually go to the movies every once in a while and living with a caterer in the house (that's the explanation for the booze) means a lot better food.

We've survived this once before. In the previous incarnation of this sitcom trope, I moved in with her. Four cats, three adults, one dog, one car, a demolished kitchen, a mini-fridge and a microwave all squeezed into a two bedroom condo in the valley. This is where I lived as I organized my wedding and for the first two months of marriage. Not the most romantic honeymoon, but a major step up from my previous living situation - next door to a Meth addict who was so far gone he nailed his front door shut and would only communicate through the mail slot. We were in a jam, she stepped into help. That's what families do. Or at least what they should do.

When we made this decision, I didn't think I'd be around for the summer. I thought I would be in Michigan working on a film. It seemed like the perfect arrangement - she needed a place to stay and we needed extra help with the baby. But you can't count on a film as a go till you are already shooting. The film fell apart and we will be a little more crowded than expected.

It should be an interesting adventure. I'll keep you posted.