It was our son’s first birthday over the weekend and hubby and I decided just to have some close friends over with their kids for some drinks and a lunch BBQ with nibbles, salads and of course a birthday cake.
Three weeks before I had ordered the champagne online to be delivered and reminded Hubby that he had to get the keg made and on for the blokes who would be there. A week earlier I had the menu written. Four days before I had the shopping list written out and ordered the bread rolls fresh-made to be picked up morning of (plus a loaf of sliced white bread for fairy bread;). Two days earlier I made the cake and the day before I iced and decorated the cake, made 3 salads and a dip and baked a brownie slice (all with two kids at home). The morning of I was up with the kids, giving hubby a sleep in since I had stuff to do anyways, dashed down to the bakery and the local shop for ice. Got home, vacuumed and gave the toy room a tidy.  Put the champagne on ice outside, glasses on the table, made adult desserts and popped chips out on the table.
Hubby put the weber on.
Guests arrived at 12pm……
My job: greet guests, receive presents for Master J and ensure Master G didn’t get too enthusiastic and open them for him; get girls a champers/softie; offer dip around, get oven on for kids food; make and serve fairy bread; check roasts; take salad to table with bread; top up champagne; bring in nibblies; serve kids food; rescue sausage rolls from bowl of tomato sauce; carve roasts (four); serve cut meat on platter; put Master J in a highchair and get him food; clear kids stuff (what a mess); clear empty plates; wipe down highchair; clear empty salads and meat; bring out cake; cut and serve cake; offer and make coffee/tea; wipe down the kitchen; put leftovers in fridge; bring out adult dessert; top up champagne; give out party bags; heat up remaining party pies and sausage rolls for kids dinner (about 5 left at this stage), get Little J dinner, bathed and into jim-jams; put J to bed; put on movie for remaining kids, try to keep kids quiet as J sleeping; put Master G to bed; bid farewell to last guests; attempt to tidy up but by 9pm I had the splitting headache from hell so I go to bed leaving hubby up.
Hubby’s job : get the blokes at the party beer; drink beer; bring roast in from Weber to kitchen; drink more beer.
Thats it.
Oh – sorry, there is more. Get rollicking drunk, stay up after guests have gone home playing computer games and eventually stagger to bed at 1am, leaving the house as it was when I went to bed, and totally forgotten that he had agreed the day before that he would get up with the kids in the morning.
I get up with the kids the next morning, clean up outside, clean up inside, put three loads in and out of the dishwasher and a load in the washing machine all before hubby surfaces about 10am. Then I vacuum and mop the floor.
How does this happen? Why does this happen? Why do we LET it happen???
How is it that the men can take off their Daddy hat so easily and forget about their responsibilities as parents for the afternoon and yet we cant remove our Mummy one? Seems to be superglued on.  I just wish I could just be “Lisa” for an event and not “Mum”, but I simply Can’t – I dont know how. Its a talent that I envy but if I had it, the nagging for the blokes to do the parent stuff for the day would skyrocket and be totally painful for all concerned so its a lose/lose situation.
Tell you what, just wait ’til Master G turns four in March – I’ll make the cake but we are going OUT!

Happy Birthday to my darling baby boy 🙂