!

[abirdinthehand]

Ok, so my house is generally pretty ok, not a case for Aggie and Kim (yet). But we have my SIL with her husband and 4 month old baby arriving at the station at about 10:30pm. I need to sort out the guest room - change sheets on double bed and cot(we had other family last weekend and have not done it yet) , hoover, dust. Wipe over the bathroom. Hoover around generally. Put away the washing up. In theory cook the kids ea, but I'm cheating and going to the chip shop - less effort, won't kill them this once! Sort out the massive pile of laundry on the floor - or at least shift it to a less visible place! Get the kids fed bathed and to bed - they are 3 and 1, before everyone sugggests they do all the work for me!
I have a heavy cold, and achey joints and I'm tiiired - and DH who is great at helping with housework is not home until 7pm tonight, and will need to eat when he gets in so he won't be able to help much.

Tell me I can do it pleease - I feel like crying! I'm usually pretty on top of housework but I feel like it's all unravelling at the seams this evening!

Oooh what happened to my thread title?!?!?

Take some painkillers. Get the kids to bed.

DH can change the sheets and run a hoover round when he's eaten.

The rest can wait. Explain to SIL that you're not feeling well if you need to, but really, if I were your SIL I would be bloody mortified that you'd felt it necessary to do any cleaning because I was visiting.

Also don't say DH is 'great at helping' - partner's shouldn't be considered to 'help' around the house, it's called doing their share

Yes, he does do his share - sorry, typing quickly! But i don't usually expect him to do housework after a 12 hour day (and he doesn't expect it of me after a 12 hour day with the kids either!) I already called him to get his chip shop order, and usually both of us are really into cooking from scratch but needs must!
It's just... I have to get my knickers off the floor - the house is BASICALLY clean, but just has a day or two's worth of family life scattered about the place, and I feel that I have not got things together enough to make it look nice for guests.

Ok, so pick up your pants, then do what I suggested above.

Unless your SIL is the Queen (and even then I'd only add sticking some bleach in the loo to the list) then a house with one or two days worth of being lived in is not going to shock. If you knacker yourself out tonight trying to make your house into a showhome when you're ill, then you're not going to feel well enough to entertain or enjoy having guests tomorrow.