The Hostess with the Most-stress

Today’s Mantra: It will all be ok in the end

What is it about  throwing an event that starts the fight or flight response going in our body? I’m a casual, easy-going person and for me entertaining is some drinks and nibbles at our place. I imagine us sipping champagne and standing around feasting on the delicate array of canapes, I’ve personally made myself.

I’m a bit delusional. Mostly that vision is two months out. By one month to go, I’m texting people to keep it free (forgetting half of them) and telling them invites will be followed shortly (a week before event). At this stage I am usually delegating food tasks to people more qualified than me at providing quality goods. My sister-in-law, mother-in-law and mother are pretty helpful in doing most of  the decorating and purchasing for events.

So by the time the event rolls around I have one cooking task, a house to clean  and myself and the kiddies to get ready.

Last weekend was Leo’s christening. Just close friends and family – 25 people max. My husband and I had all day Saturday and Sunday morning to get the house organised and we had a cleaner coming on the Saturday morning. Somehow Sunday rolls around and it is manic. I make two quiches, make a quick trip for more fish rocks (to make the fish tank look good???), yell at every family member, including the baby (go back to sleep! Mummy needs more time!) and have to re-clean the kitchen, which has flour on every surface. My stomach is doing butterflies as we get dressed and watch time double in pace.

Food is delivered in dribs and drabs all morning but seeing the cupcakes is too much for my first born to handle. For the final hour (where I was decorating, dressing and demanding) I have a screaming toddler who seems to have only one word in his vocabulary – CUUUUPCAAAAAKES! He needs a sleep, I need a break and my husband is having a mental breakdown.

We finally get in the car but have to turn around as we have forgotten the camera. I turn around to check the kids and its like dejavu from Leo’s stamping incident. This time its was Ju Ju with blue all over his face, shirts and hands. He has picked up an old balloon that had texta on it and got it everywhere. I scream and get out the baby wipes. Thank God he isn’t the focus this time around. Two minutes later we have two sleeping children and silence. We debate parking in front of a restaurant and having a nice, romantic lunch instead.

The Baptism goes beautifully, then its back to our house. God only knows why I put no time between the church and people arriving. For the first manic half hour I’m putting things in the oven, greeting people and passing out drinks.

When it’s all finished  three hours later, only my mother-in-law is left. We sit down and have a champagne and I finally relax.