MOM-ents: Family Parties

I have five brothers and one sister.  I have 24 aunts and uncles and 30 (some?) first cousins.  With the exception of my older brother, his wife, and my niece, who just moved to Texas, I get to see the majority of my family members pretty regularly. 

This weekend, the Texans were in town and came to stay at our house for the weekend and it got me thinking about all the planning that has to go into just getting our family all together.

With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be beneficial to my Patch readers to set up a list of “normal” (at least in my family) steps that one might go through when throwing a holiday party.

Longing.  About this time of year, you want to be around your family because traditionally that is what one does during the holidays.  Everyone is feeling sentimental and wants to be where “everyone knows their name” and you look forward to being reunited with your family.

Anticipation.  You will start to make lists of little things you want to do this holiday season to make it the BEST. HOLIDAY. EVER.  You will picture your family laying around on each other singing Christmas carols together while everyone “oohs” and “aahs” at all of the absolutely perfect gifts you have picked out for them weeks in advance and professionally wrapped in coordinating paper that you painted by hand.

Reality.  Days before your party, you will realize that you have not bought for half of the people on your list, and furthermore, you have no idea what they might want/need/use, and so you wander aimlessly through the mall waiting for inspiration to strike before you bite someone’s head off.  Having no luck at the mall, you will spend hours on the internet trying to get shopping done for everyone at whatever website offers free 2-day shipping and gift wrap.

Insanity.  The day of your party, you will be covered head to toe in sweat from running around getting all the “last minute” things you wanted to get done even though you were sure everything was all set the night before.  You will remember that your sister/cousin/dad/brother once mentioned in passing that they liked your made-from-scratch chicken tettrazini cheese chocolate dip and you will just HAVE to go and get all of the stuff to make it that morning or else your party is ruined, because wouldn’t that make them happy that you thought of it?

Intoxication.  While you are still covered in sweat and wearing pajama pants and trying to clean the once spotless kitchen after making your dip, your guests will start to arrive.  They bring beverages.  You slam the first one to take the edge off, and remember that you haven’t eaten all day.  Run upstairs, put on a new shirt to sweat through, and spend the rest of the evening making sure everyone’s needs are attended to and try to clean up after 30 people at once so that you can avoid a HUGE mess at the end. 

Regret.  Finally take a moment for yourself to go cry in the bathroom after screaming at your husband/mom/sister/brother/kid for no reason and wonder why you even threw this stupid party, you don’t even LIKE these people.

Sadness.  As the evening draws to a close, become overcome by grief because you don’t get to see everyone as much as you would like to.  Realize that you are lucky to have such wonderful people in your life, and that because of them your life will always be full.  Promise to each other that you will do it again soon.  At someone else’s house.