answer:If I understand correctly, the meal wound up at your MIL’s house, is that right? My feeling is probably stop trying to compete with her for hosting. She’s older and obviously really wants to do it. Can you do a different holiday? What was horrible about her dinner? Do you mean the food, or something else about it? Is it just your nuclear family at the dinner and you MIL? Or, is it also other cousins, aunts, and uncles? If your son wants to stay home you can stay with him, and not go to your MIL’s. You can tell your kid to suck it up, he’s part of a family, and it’s just a few hours. Or, you can let him stay home and you and your husband go to the dinner.