The Reluctant Hostess
Do you like to throw parties and have people over? Are you the kind of person who likes to host family gatherings or invite the neighbors over for a barbecue?
That is not me at all.
Nope. I'm usually uncomfortable at such gatherings, even if I'm not the one hosting. (Well, Taco Sunday at my parents' house is the exception.) Anyway, I don't think I'd mind it so much if it was a very small gathering. Say, one other family. Terence and I did that once or twice early in our marriage-- back when we lived in Poway and we actually had room for people to sit at a table. But we only invited one couple over for dinner and that was plenty enough guests for my taste.
How antisocial, right?
Now I'm even loathe to invite one other family over. My house is usually a wreck and I no longer have enough chairs for my own family to sit down and eat at the same time, let alone guests. And all my matching dishes and silverware have long been broken or lost. (Kids!) Unfortunately for my children, this personality quirk of mine meant I had no desire to throw them birthday parties. I've attended quite a few (I have friends who get into the party groove from their child's first birthday), but it's never inspired more than dread on my part. Not to mention that I barely have the moolah to feed my own family, let alone entertain a gathering.
When the kids (after having attending several of their cousins' lavish birthday bashes) started pleading for birthday parties, Terence and I consulted and decided that our kids would be allowed two birthday parties where they could invite their friends: when they turn 8 and when they turn 12. We thought that a four year break between parties would give us some time to recover. Well, it does. . . except that we have five children so there is no such thing as a four year break. Usually it's two. (OK, I know some of you are rolling your eyes that I'm whining about having to throw one birthday party every two years.) Anyway, we forgot about that staggered kid timing stuff, and this year's schedule means two birthday parties within a month.
YIKES!!!!!
Well, I survived the first one. I tried to make it as simple as possible while still being fun and I kept it within our $100 budget. (The money I had put aside back when we got our tax refund.) The hardest part was getting my house in decent shape before the party so I wouldn't die of mortification when I had people over. (The morning of the party I was still painting patches in the bathroom and screwing a new towel bar onto the wall so that guests would have a towel to dry their hands on.) Fortunately, we had a good turnout (one of my biggest fears is always that no one will come and my kids will be devastated-- they wait so long for these parties, you see).
B had a great time, which was the whole point:
Now I just have to get through M's somehow. This one should require less stress about our house, since M refuses to have it here ("It's too embarrassing, Mom!!") M is so worried about everything being embarrassing lately. Eeek! I guess that comes with turning 12. But it puts just a tad more pressure on the whole entertaining thing . . . (*takes a deep breath*) but I'm sure will get through it somehow. After all, how difficult could entertaining a group of preteen girls be?
I think I feel another headache coming on. Maybe I worry too much about things too!
That is not me at all.
Nope. I'm usually uncomfortable at such gatherings, even if I'm not the one hosting. (Well, Taco Sunday at my parents' house is the exception.) Anyway, I don't think I'd mind it so much if it was a very small gathering. Say, one other family. Terence and I did that once or twice early in our marriage-- back when we lived in Poway and we actually had room for people to sit at a table. But we only invited one couple over for dinner and that was plenty enough guests for my taste.
How antisocial, right?
Now I'm even loathe to invite one other family over. My house is usually a wreck and I no longer have enough chairs for my own family to sit down and eat at the same time, let alone guests. And all my matching dishes and silverware have long been broken or lost. (Kids!) Unfortunately for my children, this personality quirk of mine meant I had no desire to throw them birthday parties. I've attended quite a few (I have friends who get into the party groove from their child's first birthday), but it's never inspired more than dread on my part. Not to mention that I barely have the moolah to feed my own family, let alone entertain a gathering.
When the kids (after having attending several of their cousins' lavish birthday bashes) started pleading for birthday parties, Terence and I consulted and decided that our kids would be allowed two birthday parties where they could invite their friends: when they turn 8 and when they turn 12. We thought that a four year break between parties would give us some time to recover. Well, it does. . . except that we have five children so there is no such thing as a four year break. Usually it's two. (OK, I know some of you are rolling your eyes that I'm whining about having to throw one birthday party every two years.) Anyway, we forgot about that staggered kid timing stuff, and this year's schedule means two birthday parties within a month.
YIKES!!!!!
Well, I survived the first one. I tried to make it as simple as possible while still being fun and I kept it within our $100 budget. (The money I had put aside back when we got our tax refund.) The hardest part was getting my house in decent shape before the party so I wouldn't die of mortification when I had people over. (The morning of the party I was still painting patches in the bathroom and screwing a new towel bar onto the wall so that guests would have a towel to dry their hands on.) Fortunately, we had a good turnout (one of my biggest fears is always that no one will come and my kids will be devastated-- they wait so long for these parties, you see).
B had a great time, which was the whole point:
Now I just have to get through M's somehow. This one should require less stress about our house, since M refuses to have it here ("It's too embarrassing, Mom!!") M is so worried about everything being embarrassing lately. Eeek! I guess that comes with turning 12. But it puts just a tad more pressure on the whole entertaining thing . . . (*takes a deep breath*) but I'm sure will get through it somehow. After all, how difficult could entertaining a group of preteen girls be?
I think I feel another headache coming on. Maybe I worry too much about things too!
Comments
I do like having parties, but, I don't have them at my house, because of the same reasons as you.
That is why we should be friends. I would feel comfortable having you over, knowing we are in the same boat as far as a clean house goes.