I'm nervous about having Paul's parents over for dinner. The house isn't ready for company yet. The kitchen cabinets are only half done, there are paint swatches on every wall, we have ants, the garden is full of thistles, the basement is a disaster zone and everything needs another move-in deep clean. This is more house (1500 sq ft!) than I've ever cleaned or fixed up before. I'm not convinced bigger is better--too much work!
The first time I attended a casual family BBQ at The Rossettos, Paul's mom got down on her hands and knees (after changing into cleaning clothes) and hand scrubbed the gleaming white kitchen/dining room tile floor. The party was in the yard and garage, she had placed protective rugs over the floor, and protective bed sheets over the rugs. Not a "sole" had crossed that floor. And yet she cleaned it again.
I cannot have them over.
Paul reassurred me that our house was up to snuff, then paused as he watched an ant meander up the wall..."My dad washes his curbside garbage cans inside and out every week. Yeah, they can never come over here".