Do Obligatory Family Occasions take their Toll You?

A few weeks ago my dad was asking me if the sister (of two) that I don't get along with,had invited me to her daughter's communion. I said I hadn't. He went off and told her that she should invite me. So she invited me, and I'd to deliberate about how to decline. It wasn't that I didn't want to go. I just feel like I get little time off, and I've so many things that I'd be waiting to get around to, and then that time is interrupted.

I got me thinking, as of this September I'll be an uncle to 5 kids. If each of them is going to have a baptism, a holy communion, and a confirmation, then that's a lot of days off I'll have that will be interrupted if I felt I had to attend just to show a face. How do I avoid all these without people thinking I'm ans asshole? If you go to one, and then don't go to another, they might think you've something against that child, and not the other. I actually feel concerned about not attending for the sister that I don't get along with than the other... as I'll be wondering if it could look like I'm sending out a signal in doing so.

What makes it worse, is that my working week is longer than most, and I can't get a reduced option for now. I'd have no problem going to such things if the day happen to fall during an annual leave week. I'm also thinking that it must be pretty hard for some people, who are married as they'll often have to go to these events on both sides of the family.