My lovely but very messy in laws...

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Bathsheba - DF says that's a lot of the reason their house is in such a state of chaos. Because his parents are ill / working / etc and his younger siblings (18 & 16, still living at home) never were brought up (before their parents got really sick) to help out around the house so neither of them have the initiative to do it now iykwim? Which is fair enough but there's simple things like picking up your own rubbish, cans of drink and chip packets - and putting them straight in the garbage, that make a world of difference with no effort. You are definitely right about the immune system, and that is something i would say myself, just something that's been grating on my nerves the last few days.

Maddysmummy - I have known we're having a boy since my 20wk scan - i don't think i made too much a big deal of it (i had my heart set on a girl, am now very very happy with a boy, think i'll prefer the 'rough & tumble'!) - but 'jellybean' is in blue text in my sig - so i guess that was the real giveway. I've had a few people say they didn't know though! I don't know them well enough to say anything, but i think they might have gotten the point when they saw how 'squeaky clean' this place was when they visited on Saturday... I don't know it's tough because i don't want to be the evil daughter in law that sort of makes them play by my rules, if you get my drift?

Falguni - that's a great suggestion, except that we're in Geelong and they're in Yass (Melbourne as to Canberra)! When we were there last i had really bad sleeping issues so i spent one night scrubbing up their kitchen and lounge room - i told them it was a thank you for having us and to let her have a break, and so that i could exhaust myself to sleep, but she didn't buy it and was, according to FIL, incredibly offended. So i really can't win? I guess i'll go with the grin and bear it. They're really lovely people and i have no doubts in the manner of their care otherwise, i guess i'm just a bit neurotic about cleanliness at times...

Fiona - They would never ever permit that! They're car broke down on the way back from Melbourne yesterday and they slept in the car overnight because they refused to let us put them up for a night in a dodgy motel. I would have no chance!@ Like your thinking though.