The short version is that my 8-year-old stepdaughter, along with her four pals, has this amazing idea to transform our house into a Sleepover Heaven for her birthday. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
It gets even more juicy, though! Her mother, the lovely ex-wife of my husband, flatly refused, complaining that her home was “too small.” Traditional escape, isn’t that right?
You’re correct. That means it’s up to me to take the slack. To put it plainly, I am not offering to help at this circus. Yes, I did say that. Look, my sacred downtime is the weekend. I work a rigorous job, so by Friday, my couch and I are one. Four giddy children added to the mix is a recipe for disaster.
Shouldn’t there be some sort of obligation attached to the honorific title of Sleepover Hostess? Like, from the mother herself, maybe? I don’t think it would make any sense to skip this section.
Let’s include my spouse in the picture. “Okay, you can go sleep at your mom’s house. My ex-wife will be over here taking care of the kids for the entire weekend,” Mr. Comedian adds. Whoa, he actually did go there. Hot and spicy!
See, I had some guts and refused, flat out. Imagining a whole weekend spent with four industrious children is more nerve-wracking than soothing. Oh, but my spouse made a compelling counteroffer. “It is not necessary for us to have your parents over for lunch every Sunday,” he triumphantly raised his eyebrows. “You shouldn’t host someone if my own daughter can’t host who she wants to!”
I was confused as I stood there. Sunday lunches were imported from where? And why am I, once more, the bad guy for desiring order and tranquility within my own home?
Consider it. You spend the entire week thinking of your tranquil, happy weekend, busting your hump. Then, whoa! Thrown into preteen drama unprepared, you experience sugar highs and Friday night fever. Is it expected of me to be excited?
Let’s also address the unspoken issue of the ex-wife’s “too small” dwelling. I don’t buy this “cunningly convenient” explanation. The amount of space a mother has doesn’t diminish her responsibilities. I realize it’s a crazy idea!
Thus, I lay down my flag here. I enjoy being there for and supporting my family, but a sleepover circus? Not to be enjoyed by me. You tell me now, though: is I wrong to stick to my guns?
