Weekend survival

Last week ended with a Friday visit from one of my grown-up godchildren (I have over two dozen godchildren). She came with her two young children because she had a day off. While she enjoyed watching me scramble about the kitchen, within minutes she offered to help clean. Now this dear soul is the kind of person who enjoys cleaning and there was no way I would dare refuse. To refuse her help would be like refusing to let a mechanic friend fix your car. As she began cleaning, I found myself just standing and watching in awe. It was like watching Leonardo da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa. She was a master.

While the kids played and we conversed, she was able to clean nooks and crannies in the kitchen that would’ve taken me months. She knows she was being nice, I doubt she has any idea at how immensely her gift blessed me and my family (thank you dear one).

Saturday brought two more godchildren (they came not to clean but to continue an ongoing fantasy game that we play), so meals and cleaning were split between my wife and I (thank you Melissa).

Sunday was St. Patrick’s Day.

This day I hosted a long planned St. Patrick’s feast, complete with corned beef and cabbage, and Irish whiskey (the whiskey was a rare and special treat during Lent). More godchildren came and food was had by all (but not the whiskey). I think I was able to balance hosting the feast among my dear friends with maintaining the dishes and other kitchen duties.

My beloved wife (in her infinite wisdom), also insisted that I rest as much as possible from housewife duties (on Sunday). She said this, knowing that a day of rest would put me in a strong position at the dawn of a new week.

Needless to say, however, that from a housewife point of view, Monday’s kitchen was a wreck. Many of the dishes were done but as every housewife knows, an ordered kitchen merely starts with clean dishes.

I’ve always considered myself the “social butterfly” type, but this weekend seemed to take everything out of me. Today I was running about two hours behind. I got the last load in the dishwasher just before midnight, and the kitchen will remain a mess overnight.

As my grandiosity slowly gives way to humility, I am coming to realize and accept that I can’t and won’t get everything done that needs to get done.

Question: Is there a way to keep the kitchen from becoming a total disaster WITHOUT sacrificing time needed to be a proper host?