My mom doesn’t have a blog. (Side topic for discussion: if your parents had a blog, would you want to read it?)
But if she did, I bet she’d have a lot to say about this weekend, when all four of her daughters, their significant others, their kids, and their dogs descended on her 1000-square-foot, 3-bedroom 1-bath bungalow (with, thankfully, a powder room and family room in the basement). That’s 15 people crowded into a home that is just a wee bit bigger than my first apartment in Toronto. A bachelor apartment.
Mostly my mom has spent the weekend in the kitchen, struggling to feed the masses. When I got here, she had a big schedule on the kitchen counter listing who would be here when, and who was going to eat what at what meal. Here’s the schedule:
Base family (people who live in the house) — Mom, big sister SocialButterfly, her kids Red and Football, and their dog Ginger
Friday dinner: Base (4) + Turtleheads (5)
Saturday breakfast: same
Saturday lunch: Remove Sir Monkeypants, Captain Jelly Belly, and Gal Smiley, as they are off to visit Sir Monkeypants’s sister for the day; Add LittleSis, CanadiensFan#1, their son, HMan, and their dog, Sam; and Mom’s mom, Nana
Saturday dinner: Remove LittleSis and CanadiensFan#1 (off to a wedding); Add FameThrowa and her beau
Sunday breakfast: Re-add Sir Monkeypants, CJB, and GS; Remove Nana (breakfasting at her own place a few streets over)
Sunday lunch: Re-add Nana
Sunday dinner: Re-add LittleSis and CanadiensFan#1, for a total of 15 at dinner, plus two dogs
Monday breakfast: Remove LittleSis and family (gone back to their place in Toronto), and Nana (gone back to her place)
Monday lunch: Remove Turtleheads and Fame_Throwas and return to Baseline.
Not only did my Mom (and SocialButterfly) do tons of shopping and cooking for all these meals, they also gave up their own beds and rooms so that we could all sleep over, and the various kids could have closed-door rooms for quietness. On Friday night there were nine people sleeping here; on Saturday, there were 12! Every time a kid went to bed, another room or area of the house was closed off to the adults, until and were chased into the back bedroom of the house at 10pm.
But I have to say, I just LOVE being in a house that is so packed with people. I love the noise, I love the crazy, and our kids have been awesome, so the stress has been minimal.
And now, I’m off to get me some pie.
TurtleHead 
I love the way this post ends (not the last paragraph, the second one). That is exactly what I love about going home to see my folks for a major holiday — it’s kind of a madhouse, chaotic and noisy, but we all get along great and it’s just a ton of fun.
Ya, I love it when we’re all crammed in there together. was unphased by the craziness. He had a good time!
Wow, your mom and big sis are awesome for keeping things together and keeping people fed, well-rested, and happy!
A house full of family kids would be great. I can’t remember the last time my family did something like that (I think I was a kid); I doubt we ever would.
Glad you are having such a great time.
i love that sort of craziness. sounds like you guys are having a great time.
isn’t it famethrowa’s hubby now, and no longer beau? 😉
safe travels home.
Sounds like a fantastic visit. I love it when our family all gets together, too, with the kids are all running about like crazy and everyone all talking at once. Good times.