Wow! I've been through your messages and it sounds as though you've handled it with great aplomb! You said what I was going to suggest to #3 regarding the children's disappointment.
Congratulations on all the refusals!
My experience was a kind of watered down version. I moved from the south of England where I grew up and lived while married and the children were at school and came to the East Midlands. I live near a lovely part of England that is popular for lovers of outdoor pursuits to visit. But as soon as I arrived here, the 'We are on our way to Scotland and need to stop over for a night.... We want to go to .... can we stay with you?' even one "we are going to the National Exhibition Centre and want to be there early in the morning so thought if we stayed with you." I explained, I am in East Midlands, the NEC is West Midlands, to which she replied, "I know my geography". I had the last laugh when they asked me, before going to bed, how much time they would need for the journey from my house to the NEC. Their faces were a study when I said. It was about the same as it would be from their home...
I would say these were 'requests' but they were more like orders. People would just phone and say, "We'll be coming to you on..." It kept rolling in from remote family and people from school, friends of my mother, all from whom I had not heard for years while in the south. I could not say no. I was very upset. I'd been widowed and my youngest, still at school, was with me. I had to keep working and the move was partly connected to that. I was hurt that these people didn't see what a lot of problems their appearance caused. They expected hotel service, to be fed and given entertainment. Even whole days out, to be taken around the area to see the lovely views etc. I was exhausted and quite hard up. Moving house had been hard, getting the house sorted out was so difficult while trying to keep working in a different place a lot of the time. My husband having died, I had to do all the 'handy man' jobs to make things work, from setting up the electronic stuff to putting up shelves. I was also frequently needed to collect DD every time when she went to a friend and so I was very busy.
Yup, some people are so selfish. Interestingly, nobody asks to stay any more... fingers crossed...
But I'm so glad I came to live here. I've been here about 27 years and the time has flown by.
I wish you great happiness in your long retirement. It's so wise of you to take it early when you can enjoy it actively together. I know how hard you must have worked as a Chef. Running a restaurant is shatteringly exhausting. You certainly deserve your time in the blissful surroundings you have chosen! And lots of love xx to the dogs! Mine are jealous!
(P.S. My plane gets in at 9 next Wed. pick me up at Arrivals. I'm staying a week. Bringing all 5 dogs with me. I'll have duck and asparagus for lunch with a lemon meringue for pudding.😂 😁 🤣)