Preparations - please give me an extra hour

So with Megan, Sam and Liam off fishing, Leah and I hit Tesco to stock up on food for our exciting weekend! After much nagging, the Bradburys and the Swannacks finally gave in and agreed to come and visit us in the sunny south.

We don't live in a mansion, so the logistics of sleeping 6 adults and 7 children in our small 3-bedroomed semi was a little tricky, but plans formulated and all I had to do was make sure the house was presentable. Sounds easy enough, but I'm no Martha! And I had plenty of warning...so why is it that whenever anyone comes to visit, I'm always ready for them an hour after they've arrived??

The Bradburys were due to arrive first - leaving after a 9am swimming lesson, I was SURE Alan would be a slow and steady driver, with a few pitstops and maybe a lunch stop - I was estimating a 2.30 arrival? So when Hilary rang at 12.15 to say they were at Stansted Airport (which is about 45mins away) I started sweating! The sheets were still in the washing machine, the toys were still piled up at the bottom of the stairs, the food from Tesco was leaning on the mucky plates from the cake I had baked! Why do I always do this???

When they arrived, I tried to be cool - ignoring the clothes still piled on the table, shoving out of the way the toys they had to step over to get in the door, and more importantly, I tried not to smear my sweaty cheek on Hilarys when I gave her a welcome hug - I hadn't managed to fit a shower in before they arrived! But Alan clocked me later on finishing all the jobs that should have been done before they arrived. I tried to brush it under the carpet (along with all the dust) "Sit down, have a rest! Don't mind me, hoovering round your feet and spraying polish over your head! Read a book or something!" He noticed my running around as Karen and Jim's arrival time was creeping up and suggested that I was trying to impress Karen! As if I would!

And there's always one big job on my to do list that I know I MUST do, that I don't get round to and it jumps up and bites me on the bottom! This time it was spring cleaning my wardrobe! I'd been thinking about it all week - I'd been shoving things in, higgledypiggledy and kept meaning to organise my clothes, so when Hilary asked if she could borrow a T Shirt on Monday, I could have kicked myself - I tried my hardest to distract her:

• "Surely my T-shirts won't fit you!" (in my mind I'm thinking "Oh no, she's gonna look in my wardbrobe!")!
• "Its not that hot - that long sleeved top will be fine in this 23 degree heat!" (in my mind - "Why why why didn't I sort it out!"

Once again, caught out! Good job they're my friends despite my disorganisation!

If all visitors would kindly note that if we arrange an arrival time - even if I suggest the time, I really do need an extra hour...or two! Or if you can just promise to look me in the eye through your entire visit and not let your eyes stray past me to my clutter!