From Chaos to Quiet

"Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days."

Benjamin Franklin

It's mine!!! All mine!!!! We have our house back to ourselves!!!

We have had quite a month in our house. Our guest room has been utilized almost ever day for the past two weeks with family. Now, before you think I am just going to write about how family drove me crazy, you are going to be disappointed (slightly). HAHAHA. Truly it is nice to be blessed with wonderful family and it really is nice that they come to visit. They don't usually stay long, cause too many problems and always help out around the house. But with that being said, out of the past 27 days, we have had guests in our house 17 days. I guess I should be more thankful we don't live in a one bedroom apartment!

It all started with Abby's birthday party. Josh's parents came up the day before the party to help clean the house, put the food out and general toddler watching since our party exploded to 25 people plus kids. It was a great party but a lot of work. Josh's parents left the day after the party and we had a small reprieve to clean the house and get it ready for the 15 people we were having for Passover just a mere 9 days later.

TANGENT: Normally for Passover, we spend the first night with Josh's parents and then go up to my parents for the weekend to see them for Passover. However, this year, Passover coincided with my parent's spring break and they decided that they wanted to drive down to us. Fine with me! Less to schlep and hassle with the airport. My parents and I had been discussing for the past FOUR months when they should come. I had two ground rules. One, I was not taking of the entire week of work (too much hassle to clean up work email when I take vacation...especially when I am still in town and will get on my work computer from home) and two, I was not taking Abigail out of day care all week (I have to pay for it whether she is there or not). So they were between coming as early as Monday or as late at Thursday. Whatever.

So as I worked to clean the house between parties and cook for my part of Passover (matzo ball soup, tsimmes and cake), I still was doing all my normal weekly things of work, day care, and sporting my 20 week belly around. I also was working out seating logistics, dishes, you name it. Josh's parents came up the day before Passover and were working on everything the next day while I went to work. Passover Seder came and everyone had a wonderful time. We had plenty of food, plenty of fun and only had to run the dishwasher 3 times that evening. Josh's parents stayed through the weekend and we got two nights to ourselves (clean the house, do laundry, wash the guest room sheets, etc. before the next crowd came).

Tuesday afternoon my parents came in and we had a nice time. They had a FABULOUS time with Abigail and brought her lots of new toys...including the singing monkeys from their house even though she is petrified of them. My grandma came up on Friday so I had a house full of people! When Cletus the Fetus makes her arrival, we are going to be down one guest room. Now that will make times like these exciting. (Sense the sarcasm?)

My mom and grandma left on Sunday and then my dad on Tuesday since he was attending a conference in town. Finally, we were down to our quiet trio and being able to find which drawers all of our utensils ran off to. Thankfully, we don't have any plans for anyone visiting until my parents return in June so hopefully May will be a little quiet.

I just know that it is going to explode again in August! Hey sanity, come back here! It isn't August yet!