To Cancel this Weekend?

[ViviPru]

DP has invited his two best friends, their wives and 1 DC to stay this weekend. They are all very nice people who live quite a distance away and we are overdue a catch-up.

Normally I'm very sociable but after two weekends of big weddings, one overseas, interspersed with a weekend of jetlag, and a heavy stressful week of F/T work, I can't face it.

I was resigning myself to it until it transpired today that the couple with the DC are arriving early Friday evening. I work till gone 6 on Fridays, and DP is working away Thurs & Fri. While he promises to try and get home "as early as possible" on Friday evening, his timekeeping is legendary (in a bad way).

How do I pull the plug on this without being an arse? Or do I just get over myself and dig out the trifle bowl?

It'll be one of those weekends you dread and it'll turn out that you have a fantastic time.

Get a takeaway for Friday and some good wine.

Enjoy!

Get your DP to pull the plug

He seems to have arranged it without thinking about the workload. Ask for it to be arranged for a time when HE can be at home to meet them.

Dig out the trifle bowl, fill it with punch, make the best of it!

Is there any way you can have them to stay but with minimal work for yourself?

Could you explain to them that you've been really busy and that on Friday night it's going to be copious amounts of wine and a takeaway? Could you do an online order to arrive on Friday night?

Buy some croissants for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Insist you all go to the pub for a meal on Saturday night/lunchtime and just have snacks th rest of the time.

I'd be happy to have a weekend like that (as a guest) - I'd rather that to think my host was knackered as a result of cooking for me.

Tell your husband that for every half hour he is late, that's a week (or month or year, whatever your circumstances!) without sex.

I would advise being utterly honest and say we really wanted to see you but we're too shagged for catering.

They'll be pleased to see you and as they have kids they will also understand about being knackered I assume.

Don't dig out the trifle bowl, just buy a ready made trifle.

I don't blame you for not feeling up for it but I think cancelling at such short notice will not look good. If you are at work until 6.00 then they can't arrive until then at least.

As Nanny says I'm sure once you've got into the swing of things then you'll be fine. And takeaway is a good shout.

Are the family arriving on the friday coming a long way? Could you not possibly just ask them to come on the saturday instead?

Personally I wouldn't cancel at this late stage. How long has it been arranged? You knew all your plans so should have known how you'd feel. And they'll be looking forward to it and may have cancelled other invitations to be with you.

Suck it up, get a takeaway, wine and relax. They're your friends who have some to see you, not inspect your premises. You'll end up having a great time.

Of course you can't cancel!
Just employ all the ideas on this thread, and relax and enjoy their company. If you don't have a cleaner bundle all the bedding up and take it to a service wash and iron service.
Buy in lots of M&S 'Gastro' ready meals, they are really nice, make sure you have some food the DC can eat, and enjoy a relaxed casual weekend.
I would be more than happy with that - guests know that if you arrive on a fri night in a home where everyone works f/t there won't be napkins folded in the shape of mating hummingbirds on every side plate!

You're all brilliant - all echo every thought I've had. I love your suggestion, IP . I'm a bit of a Monica and struggle to relax unless everything is just so - its not about what anyone else thinks, more about my own need for calm and order.

Mama you're right, I did kind of know the plans. I usually arrange all the social functions, DP and his pals struggle with co-ordinating farts in bean cans so I was burying my head in the hope that it might all fizzle out. Plus being completely frazzled with all the travelling/weddings has meant its kind of slipped out of my conscious till today.

The family arriving on the Friday are travelling about 150 miles, I think they want to come on the Friday 'to make a weekend of it'. I got a bit uppity (to myself) at the assumption I could just drop everything to play host, I work from home so I get annoyed when people equate that with being at home.

I've rung the lifesaving angel my Mum to kindly ask her with some help with the laundry and I'm going with the suggestion of booking lunch at the pub on Saturday.

Still wish I was one of those 'no is a sentence' women.

As Nanny Og said, it'll probably turn out to be one of those weekends that turns out to be legendary. If they are close friends, you could perhaps get away with mentioning that you're a bit under par at the moment. I'm sure they'll understand.