Hosting family is tiring. Even for a few hours.
Especially when they are not your family.
It is mostly the cleaning the already pretty clean house and prep-work that is the hassle. But, it was still nice to have them over to celebrate a slightly early birthday for Smallsteps, to enjoy some cake and coffee that we had prepared. My wife made a savory pie, two sweet pies, and "mokkapala", which is a type of chocolate cake with coffee in the icing. And it was from this that we cut a heart-shaped piece to become the "birthday cake" with the candle in it.
Everything was of course gluten- and lactose- free, and nearly everything went to plan. Oh, I also made a pavlova using my normal recipe, which is better than the one I used the other week I think. At least, no one complained about it and it was gone fast. I got a spoonful from the plate only, but I am glad people enjoyed it.
But of course, the whole point of having people over was for Smallsteps and as is the tradition, we got her a number balloon to mark the age and took a few photos. Other than the balloon, my wife and I didn't give her anything today, but will present the book to her on her actual birthday, so she gets something then too.
She got some pretty cool gifts other than the books that she had asked for. She didn't really get any "thing", but she got gifts of trips to a park with her cousin, the movies with another other cousin, an overnight stay with a "spa treatment" from her aunty, and a trip to a trampoline park from another. These are great gifts, as they are things that she can actually do with people and it gets her out of the house, away from her parents, a little more independence.
It is good that she gets to occasionally spend time with people who are older than her, but not us. I think that it is better for children to spend some time with a range of people who can demonstrate different kinds of life stages, so they understand that as we get older and mature, life changes. Parents are influential, but peers are stronger rolemodels and I reckon that if possible, we should surround our kids with people who are decent people, rather than just teaching them how to deal with people who are less so.
My wife's family are decent people.
I think they have done a pretty good job of raising the kids, and the kids seem like the type who are going to do a good job of raising their own, when that time comes. At least for the older two who are both recently married, that time might be approaching pretty fast.
Then I will have babies to play with!
I might not be very good at hosting family, but I am pretty good at spending time with babies and toddlers, which is probably because we are on the same mental level - as well as the same language level. And while I might not be able to communicate too well with the adults, I am able to make a pavlova and pour the coffee.
So I am not totally useless.
But, hassle aside, it was a good day and the house is cleaner than usual for a few more days. We will have a "friends birthday party" later with a small group of Smallsteps' classmates coming to our house and I can almost guarantee that after they leave, the house will look like a bomb exploded.
More fun for Smallsteps. Less for her parents.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]