A real look into my life the past few days….

Wednesday I knew we had company coming which made me very nervous as it was my father-in-law, 2 brother- in-laws and a sister -in-law as well as three of their  8 children. I am not only not the same nationality as them, but I have a track record of making them unhappy, well, my father in law unhappy. So, to say I was nervous was to stretch it. I had a list of things to do in the morning that included grocery shopping, cooking for the company, cleaning house, washing sheets, blankets, pillowcases, sweeping floors etc.
I had a plumber coming in the morning to fix a faucet I had broken and he fixed it and as he drove off, it started leaking everywhere from the drain pipe. I called and left a message letting him know and we stuck a dishpan underneath it. <p> I got my list organized of what I needed to buy at the store, when I got a phone call. Some friend had more potatoes for free for us, if I could come and bring boxes to pick them up.  So, I loaded up the van with children and headed out for the place for potatoes and a stop at Walmart for oil for the van first as we were out.  Then we went around looking behind stores for boxes, I found some, but they were not the strongest, but would have to do. I stopped to check the produce place out on the way and bought 90 lbs of apples for .25 a pound there. They are not perfect, but great apples! I also got 3 heads of cauliflower for .75 a head and a bag of colored peppers for $1 and some cucumbers.
I was thinking maybe I would make a cucumber tomato salad for  the evening meal. <p> We get the van all loaded up with potatoes and drive home, but I stop to give some to my cousin before going home as I know otherwise it may be awhile until I get them over to her. <p> The boys are hungry so we had a snack and I start  mixing up roll dough, simmering meat for broth for Borcht, etc. I really got rolling then. I am thinking that they are going to be well fed and just really start making stuff. I made a huge batch of rolls, but realize when they are rising that the reason they used less flour this time was because I used only the water and forgot the milk. Oh well! <p> I then get the potatoes in the Borcht,  break up arguments as I am cooking with boys and try to figure out what is wrong with P. who is acting lethargic as he does not want soup and I cannot stop to feed him something else. I sternly tell him to eat the soup or else and continue. He is laying on the floor and I realize I have to take care of it. I stop, feed him a couple dried plums, a spoon of peanut butter and force some soup down him. It is averted for a short time. <p> F. gets home and I am deep in dough, by this time making a huge batch of Challah dough and simmering the Borcht which has all the vegetables in it. He is unloading the potatoes and apples etc when the phone rings. They are almost here! Several hours before they said they would be! <p> To say panic strikes is a understatement. I stop and start crying….then draw a deep breath and fly around the house finishing up stuff, making myself continue to breathe all the while. I quickly get the rolls, shaped and rising. T. is helping me and clean up the kitchen somewhat, yeah….<p> When they get there, I just can’t move out to go say hi. I stay and keep working, but slowly I calm down, relax a bit, serve them dinner eventually, although later I realize i could not eat anything. My stomach was churning! <p>
It was  a nice visit, nothing went wrong as far as I know yet. The house was okay, they liked it anyhow! They praised my food and I was told I was "Just like a Russian woman" as far as cooking which is a very high compliment for them to give their american daughter in law. My fridge is full of sausage, cheese that I am not sure what kind it is, lots of chocolate, peanut butter and all sorts of stuff which is nice and the boys had great fun staying up to after midnight whispering with their cousins. <p>
So, anyhow, then yesterday I am recovering. I got up before 6 am to say good bye and  taught some school, took P. to literature class, I am dealing with paperwork and suddenly look at the clock and realize for the first time in my life I forgot swimming lessons and we missed the first 15 minutes or so. My poor boys!  I am still out of it and feeling out of whack, but so there is a synopsis of the last couple of days!