Laura & CTB Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 She hasn't visited for about 4 years for various reasons but now she's decided that my Dad can look after himself for a while so CTB is going to pick her up tomorrow and driver her the 200 miles to here So why am I running around like a headed chicken ( I prefer it to the alternative ) cleaning parts of the house that have never seen a duster before and baking......I mean me..........actually baking a chocolate and brandy cream roulade......at this time of night???????????? Funny thing is, I've a feeling I am not alone in this one - so come on fess up - who else goes into manic mode just because their mother is coming round and the big question...... Why do we do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 No I don't but then she doesnt visit often being in Kosova but when she lived over here I still didn't. I do for the mil though made worse by dhs flapping. I do try and point out to him if our hosu eis such an ebarrassment he could help more but no he prefers to make me flap last minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I panic more about the garden my mum's garden is like an exhibit from the Chelsea flower show and no matter how much I prune or chop or dead head....every time she visits she's out there finding bits I've missed !! I also like my house to smell nice when she comes - so all the candles are lit!! So I know exactly what you mean,....hope your mum enjoys the roulade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted May 16, 2008 Author Share Posted May 16, 2008 I panic more about the garden OMG - hadnt thought about that - am off to get the garden hose out and scrub the decking, oh and clean the windows on the patio doors. Did buy a nice ready planted pot of flowers though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I have three modes of cleaning: 1. Just a quick hoover and spit and polish when friends came round. 2. A bit more thorough and a good tidy up when people come to dinner 3. OMG my mother is coming to visit, an incredibly thorough clean of absolutely everything which took 2 days Sadly my mother is dead. Hope you enjoy your mother's visit if you are not too exhausted after all the cooking and cleaning Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I do odd things like fill up the toilet roll holders and change all the towels. Oh and wipe away cobwebs that have been there for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Personally i leave it all to the OH - he panics terribly if the house isnt 'just so' Its a house - it has a 'lived in' look, its always clean but not always tidy. Friends & family come round to be with us & not to inspect the house, if they think its too messy they can help tidy it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Personally i leave it all to the OH - he panics terribly if the house isnt 'just so' OMG send him up here I could do with someone like that for a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 It'll cost you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 It'll cost you! well ummm....... Its lovely whisky country up here - is that an incentive - between cleaning jobs - little visits to various distilleries and one my son works at too!. B & B included too.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surferdog Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I've a feeling I am not alone in this one - so come on fess up - who else goes into manic mode just because their mother is coming round quote] I do! In fact if I need a boot up the bum to get on with the cleaning I just imagine my Mum dropping in unexpectedly. I don't know why - my MIL was the one who critisised (she even once told me I'd hung the sheets on the line incorrectly and my plant leaves needed dusting). This had the opposite effect and induced some kind of mutinous teenage 'not gonna do it' reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 When my Mum came to live with us I actually hired a cleaner to keep the house up to her standards! She was very good though - she would get on and do it herself if she didn't like it, but once she was unable to do it I just couldn't keep it up. I did feel sorry for the cleaner though - being followed round and inspected as she went. And Mum used to blame it on me - I know I'm borderline OCD but she used to tell the cleaner: "Snowy likes it done this way or that way" ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisaroo2 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I don't worry about my mum coming up. It's when an ex-colleague from work comes to visit that I panic, and I mean PANIC! Her house is IMMACULATE, cream carpets, really tastefully done. Ours is well, eclectic to say the least. It's usually pretty tidy, with the odd cobweb or 2, they do help to control the flies. I even find myself brushing the cats so they don't drop hair on her clothes. Having said all that she is wonderful and a great pal and probably wouldn't bother if it did look like a tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey Lucy Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Someone once told me that they liked coming to visit us because we lived in a home not a house.That excuses all clutter and stops me from the OTT cleaning, then again if we ever decide to move there will have to be the world's biggest spring clean. But I still panic a bit when MIL and/or SIL come to visit. But they at least give me 24 hours notice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Personally i leave it all to the OH - he panics terribly if the house isnt 'just so' He'll have to change his tune come September! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted May 16, 2008 Author Share Posted May 16, 2008 Well it's all done (mostly) and I'm blooming shattered. To top it all I just sat down and the call out phone rang from work - some piece of electrical kit gone wrong. Fortunately, I've managed to convince the guy that he really doesnt need to use it until Sunday couldnt face driving back into work at this hour. Ah well, better set the alarm for the morning or I'll still be in bed when she gets here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 When I first got married I remember telling my neighbour I was going to clean the house as my mum was coming up! Hubby is a wonderful cleaner/ polisher/hooverer/mopper/ironer/shopper etc etc i just spend all my free time on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I don't bother doing anything at all if my mum is coming, but that's just because I'm so incredibly comfortable around her. She knows, and has always known that I'm a bit of a slob, so there's no problem!!! Our house is clean but lived in We have also had people round who have said they feel comfortable in our house because it feels like their house! We did however tidy like mad things when we had an omlet course at my house, although it probably still looked messy My mother in law coming to stay, ..... well that's a completely different matter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Anybody coming to stay is a terrifying thought. I couldn't possibly turn our home into a show house, even in two days. I just aim to get most of it clean and tidy and shield the rest from view! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy1 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I don't even bother to try now. Nothing is ever any good for my mum she is aways competting with the Jones's. Anyway with three dogs around, just as you finished hoovering they sneak in and leave a trail of straw around the house from their kennel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 I can remember not long after I was married, my MIL was going to visit, I scrubbed and cleaned and tidied and baked..............MIL turned up 6 hours late and only stayed for 30 mins :evil: My Mum only lives round the corner so pops in all the time ............ I'm just in the middle of having a move around in the lounge and I've got my fingers crossed that if she pops in today, it's not until I've finished otherwise I can just see her going .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 I used to do that......... until we moved to a farm... My Mother and SF are here now.......I told her on Thursday, when she arrived, that "the house is 'clean enough' but you won't need to go looking for dust - it will be staring you in the face" I am a bit more than borderline OCD - but I have had to change...so now, I can cope with more dust and dirt....as long as everything is still 'straight' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 My mum only comes to stay with me when I'm about to go into labour! She's been here twice and that's it. She prefers us to visit her - not that she's scared of flying or anything, it's just that she likes to meet on her own grounds. Even when we're in our Spanish home she won't visit us! The few times she's visited I've gone mad cleaning, mainly trying to get rid of the sand (our Spanish home is near the sea, and every time we pop down to the beach the boys bring about 3 kilos of sand each, to be quickly spread over sofa, chairs, bean bags etc...) I used to get rather paranoid but now I don't care so much, after all it's MY holiday too. ...and if they enjoy their sand so much, why should it bother them if it gets on their bed...? I do brush the sofas and clean but only when we expect visitors though... I'm a bit tidier at home in the UK, plus I have an au-pair that helps keeping things tidy(ish) when I'm busy doing other things. Still, the expression 'lived in' was created with our home in mind... and we wouldn't have it any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted May 17, 2008 Author Share Posted May 17, 2008 I can remember not long after I was married, my MIL was going to visit, I scrubbed and cleaned and tidied and baked..............MIL turned up 6 hours late and only stayed for 30 mins :evil: I'd have cried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 I dont worry about mum or MIL , they take us as they find us. Mum wouldn't care how my house looked it's me she comes to see not my pile of ironing (and it's huge most of the time) I hate ironing Mum even comes and helps me clean sometimes bless her heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
