I love having company over our house.  It brings such joy to me to entertain and be surrounded by family and friends.

However, to do some of the preparation to get the house ready for guests to arrive can be so stressful!

Being a Stay-at-Home Mom of two children may sound like it is a walk in the park, but spend a day in my shoes and you will leave with a very different opinion.  On top of cleaning and cooking for our company to arrive, I am also still being a teacher, a friend, a playmate, a chef, a maid and a mother to my children.

It is funny because if you have a friend coming over who is also a mom, having the playroom a mess is the last thing you worry about because she understands. But if you have a friend coming over who is not a mom, having a messy playroom is one of the first things you want to tackle. Those who have children know that the “playroom” turns into the living room, the dining room, all the bedrooms, the kitchen and even the bathroom.

As I have appetizers warming, side dishes sizzling, the main course baking in the oven and dessert cooling in the refrigerator, I am now trying to make my house look like it can be featured in a magazine before any guests arrive.  And let me tell you, most children do not find cleaning fun no matter how much you try to make it a game.  I go room by room and work as quickly as possible to confine all the toys and clutter into one room.

I almost forgot, I can’t leave out a member of our family, our dog, Daisy.  At this point in the day, she has been fed, been out several times, barks to make her presence known and completes our family’s hectic life.  Now, once I have the mess contained and the kids and dog under control, it is then time for dinner, baths, pajamas, stories and bedtime for the kids.

Oh and don’t forget the continuous trips to the kitchen to make sure nothing is burning.  On these nights, this is when we hope and pray that the kids cooperate and go right to sleep without a fight; there is usually a lot of bargaining going on with our 4 year old.  By this time, my husband is usually home from work so he will pick up the “messy room” while I put the finishing touches on dinner and enjoy my first glass of wine of the evening.

After what seems like blood, sweat and tears, the job gets done.  We always have a great night with our guests in a hopefully “picture perfect” home.  I seem to continue this cycle whenever we have company coming over, even if it is just to watch a football game.

Silly, I know.

A day in the life of a Stay-at-home Mom can be a very hectic one.  So, if you happen to stop by or have plans to go over a friend’s house, who is a mother, don’t judge a book by its cover.  The house may be out of sorts, she may still be in her pajamas, there could be folded laundry on the kitchen table but she is doing her job.  Her children are her number one priority; everything else will fall into place.