Family's coming this weekend and I'm nervous

seadoug

Well-known Member
Location
Texas
We get together with the extended family at least once a year and we usually rent a cabin or house so everyone can do their own thing. My SIL's kids are usually with us but they have all dispersed at this point. We have been trying to get them to visit Dallas for years so we can show them around and they have finally decided to make the trip. My SIL and her husband and my BIL and his roommate will be staying with us this weekend.

The reason I'm nervous is because we truly haven't had anyone stay with us in years. We've hosted cocktail parties but no one has stayed with us. I like my privacy and I'm not much of a "host". I'm kind of a neat-nick and BIL is a fantastic cook but he makes a big mess in the kitchen. Also, I just don't like being responsible for someone else's entertainment. I guess it comes from being an only child.

At first, I suggested to hubby that we rent an AirBNB close by but I could see how disappointed he was so I changed my mind. He has been washing every towel and sheet in the house and has cleaned every plate and glass. He used our dishwasher for probably the first time in 15 years just to make sure it still worked. We have a twin bed in the guest room, a king bed in the master bedroom, a sofa bed in my home office, a comfy couch and an air mattress. People are going to be sleeping all over the house!

I'm having a cleaning company coming out tomorrow to clean the house from top to bottom. Hubby has been doing a lot of cleaning and paint touch-up. I told him the family should visit more often!

I know we will LOVE taking them to see the sights (BIL's roommate from Miami thinks Dallas is still cowboy boots and truck nuts). We're going to show them the best of Tex-Mex and barbecue but also the 6th Floor Library, Holocaust Museum, Bush Library and some of the funkier areas.

Wish me luck!
 

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We get together with the extended family at least once a year and we usually rent a cabin or house so everyone can do their own thing. My sister's kids are usually with us but they have all dispersed at this point. We have been trying to get them to visit Dallas for years so we can show them around and they have finally decided to make the trip. My SIL and her husband and my BIL and his roommate will be staying with us this weekend.

The reason I'm nervous is because we truly haven't had anyone stay with us in years. We've hosted cocktail parties but no one has stayed with us. I like my privacy and I'm not much of a "host". I'm kind of a neat-nick and BIL is a fantastic cook but he makes a big mess in the kitchen. Also, I just don't like being responsible for someone else's entertainment. I guess it comes from being an only child.

At first, I suggested to hubby that we rent an AirBNB close by but I could see how disappointed he was so I changed my mind. He has been washing every towel and sheet in the house and has cleaned every plate and glass. He used our dishwasher for probably the first time in 15 years just to make sure it still worked. We have a twin bed in the guest room, a king bed in the master bedroom, a sofa bed in my home office, a comfy couch and an air mattress. People are going to be sleeping all over the house!

I'm having a cleaning company coming out tomorrow to clean the house from top to bottom. Hubby has been doing a lot of cleaning and paint touch-up. I told him the family should visit more often!

I know we will LOVE taking them to see the sights (BIL's roommate from Miami thinks Dallas is still cowboy boots and truck nuts). We're going to show them the best of Tex-Mex and barbecue but also the 6th Floor Library, Holocaust Museum, Bush Library and some of the funkier areas.

Wish me luck!
Try to ignore the anxieties and keep in mind how many more or less gatherings you will get like that and try to just enjoy it. Some of us aren't as lucky. *hugs*
 

I so understand what you are experiencing, @seadoug . I, too, am a very private person and I like feeling relaxed in my own home. Whenever I have had people staying here, I felt restrained (no more singing whenever the mood hits me) and I felt obligated to always keep hosting and keeping things going. I am not a great talker or mixer by any stretch of the imagination. I’m sure you will do all right. Enjoy the visit and enjoy showing your guests around your city.
 
Years ago when I was stressed because of company, one of the first to arrive said. “Relax, we’re family!” That’s the bottom line. They’re coming because they love you!!!!

This.👆

Try not to drive yourself and your hubby crazy. It'll be OK, truly. You’re going to have fun. Enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful time together. When everything is said and done, come back and tell us about it! 😊
 
This thread has been an interesting read for me.

It’s not the cleaning that I fuss over as much as an effort to erase any trace of myself in my own little apartment and turn it into a neutral place similar to a hotel room.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few family members and close friends that could knock on my door unannounced and be welcome to spend the night but the thought of the vast majority of people spending the night in my private little world gives me the heebie-jeebies! 😉🤭😂

Good luck! 🫂
 
Your plans sound wonderful and make me nostalgic for my days of my home being the gathering place.
Embrace yourself in the sounds of laughter and love, add the sight of smiles and eyes wide with enjoyment
and lose yourself in those,
It's a far easier chore to put a house back in order, than a family when it's over. 💝
 
My father said: "Visitors are like fish. After three days they start to stink".

But he couldn't have meant it serious. I remember a special summer in the early 1980s. We had several visitors from mid July till the end of August staying in our house. It was quite wonderful. So many good conversations.

You'll love it!
 
Misa's granddaughter is spending the night tomorrow. Many family and friends will be spending the night not in their home, but with a loved one ( hopefully )...tis the season. I am anxious because this meeting is very important to Misa to really connect with her DGD. We too are doing laundry, cleaning house and yard, getting and making special foods, etc. I am hoping they spend their time together fruitfully. :)

Me, I have had two panic attacks, one bad one, in the past couple weeks. I weaned off a big slice of an SSRI I have been on for 15 years. I can get fairly stable with some meds while I withdraw. ( I am sweating profusely at night, and also intestinal upset. ) Without the meds right now, my body starts shaking inside. Right now I am feeling OK, but these attacks are scary and I am afraid I will have a big one when she gets here. :eek:

So, @seadoug it was very relatable to me how your feeling. ANXIETY! Always feels horrible. I have a fear of social gatherings. I was a monk. :)
 

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