The Frenzy of Preparation

My parents are coming for a visit this weekend, and I am in the process of frenetically cleaning, organizing, and preparing my house and myself for their arrival Thursday. The clutter of mail had spread beyond the normal 2 clutterpoints in the house, so I have shoved the remainder in a drawer because I was tired of dealing with it tidied it away neatly in anticipation of their arrival. Their house is full of clutter, so I have the vain hope that if I can have our house neat and relatively clutter-free, it will subliminally tell them that it is NOT okay to clutter up MY house during their five day stay. I really, really hope this is what they will pick up.

Anyway, I am also attempting to have all laundry done, all dishes done (including no pans left by DH to "soak" in the sink for days on end), and the two clutterpoints actually GONE and everything TIDY...and the angels singing en masse because it will be a miracle if it all happens.

As it happens I have actually finally mounted the curtain hardware and hung the curtains I sewed a year ago for DS's room, which also pinch-hits as the guest room. We will just ignore the fact that I forgot how long they are and mounted the curtain rod too low on the wall and the bottoms of the curtain sort of sit on top of one of the guest beds, yes we are just ignoring that for the time being...ahem... I am also reorganizing all the hand-me-down clothes for DS, getting them semi-organized in bags and somewhat tidied away in the closet. I've even accidentally pulled out from the wall preventatively tested the wall strap for DS's dresser in the closet, so DH has a little fix-it project to tackle at some point in the future when DS actually, you know, occupies his room instead of the pack-n-play in our room.

We have arranged a family visit to my brother and fam up north, so that will be fun. I am steeling myself for my dad's grumbling about "walking too far" regardless of wherever we choose to picnic, and am hoping that wherever my parents treat us for dinner out, the food will not be sniffed at with proclamations of "it's too spicy" or "they used too much pepper". I hope.

Of course, DD is ecstatic at TWO trips to the airport, and the presence of grandparents who are sure to treat her to too much ice cream, cookies, and sugar for her general well being. Now that both of my parents are diabetic, I have bought some sugar free cookies (including Oreos) and will be sneaky and put them in ziploc baggies before they arrive, thus they will probably eat them. Hehe. And I bought my mom her preferred snacks of several 100 calorie packs from Nabisco, closing my eyes and paying FULL PRICE for them at the grocery store--complete, utter breaking of grocery shopping rules! She will eat them if I have to shove them at her 24/7 during their stay. All snack purchases, of course, were made in the vain hope that they will not go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of crappy processed high sugar food name brand snacks. If I can keep them out of Costco and the grocery store, I will have succeeded.

And naturally now was the perfect time to completely rearrange all the furniture in our living room and den! Sofa and sofabed were moved by myself yesterday, and floorplans and furniture arrangements dissected until we have what we think is a workable plan. I just have to finish moving it all...by myself...today. Did I mention that DD is potty training in earnest? And just had her second accident of the morning, this time, on purpose, because I would not put on a video she wanted to watch? So she purposely left the room with her training potty and went to her room and peed on her soft foam princess chair? Which I now have to wash?

Yep-er, a great day looms. DD has been warned that if she goes elsewhere to pee again, she is getting spanked. Whatever about negative associations--this kid KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS DOING. And that is something "up with which I will not put." Sorry, I draw the line. *sigh* Oh yes, and I am getting my windscreen replaced on my car today rather than hear my dad bitch complain about it all through the visit. I hadn't saved up the money to do so yet, so that's a hit to the e-fund. Oh great. Better though than hear my dad endlessly ranting about it for five days, which would inevitably yield to some other ranting about how poorly we keep our cars.

Oh yes, this will be great fun. Now, where are my margarita fixings??? Just kidding.