non-stop party weekend

After my lovely peaceful Friday evening I ended up having a totally hectic weekend. I had hired a floor sander as the living room was already out of action and quite dusty after having the fireplace knocked out in preparation for the new stove. I didn't know it was going to be the hottest weekend of the year. But I knew there were loads of parties to go to so plenty of opportunity to get everyone out of the house so the floor could be done. I assumed that a weekend was plenty of time to do one room and B said he was up for it...
I ended up taking birthday girl, Jem's friend, down to ballet on Saturday morning, plus the boys, so as to get them out of the way. In fact I seemed to spend the entire day running children up and down the hill, as after lunch (and putting washing on, and totally clearing the room of larger furniture, piano, sofa, etc, and pulling the carpet up), I had to take them to a children's play, as part of the birthday treat. I had not been looking forward to this, but it turned out to be quite good: a rendition of Goldilocks in song, mime, and dance. So I then dropped them off at the party and went home to see how the floor was getting on. Not great: carpet grippers were still being lifted. (In fact not a lot seemed to be happening to the floor that I was not actually doing myself whilst organising all 3 kids with parties, meals, presents, clothes, etc.) So, after putting the washing out and more in, I helped with the bashing in of nails, etc for an hour or so, while Allie slept in the car, and put more washing out. I then returned to the party, which was, unfortunately, just about over, Although people had already started arriving for the evening party, which was for birthday girl's mum, also birthday girl! So, I stayed for the inter-party lull, which merged into the evening, and the children ended up staying with me until nearly midnight, as no-one (eg daddy, who came later) offered with any real conviction to take them home and put them to bed.
So at 11.30 this morning, I had a bit of a G&T head, which doesn't hurt, but makes things a little slower than usual, I phoned up to find out when the first of today's parties was on. Now! O, well, a little early I would have said, but off we went to a party for 2 year old twins. (Must also say happy birthday to B of The Woodland Path). This also seemed to go on for a very long time, and was full of people I didn't know, and who, if I talked to for any length, ineveitibly had to menton about HE, which sometimes results in a bit of a silence, as if people just don't know what to say. This made me long to be surounded by friends who HE. I don't seem to have seen many HE people lately as there has been a lot of camping and I don't think I can manage camping at the moment with my 3, although I do quite like camping and have done quite a bit in the past.
There was a bouncy castle at this party (I didn't go to the other one as it was a swimming party, which is impossible with 3 non-swimming children- must get this swim-right class sorted out), and boating on the mill pond and lots of quite posh people, and I got to look round the neighbour's garden, which was fantastic, and walked through the other neighbour's barn conversion, which was equally fantastic. I found myself in a conversation with her, agreeing that yes, I too would have to do a self-build if I ever moved house (!?*!) Not that far-fetched, perhaps, as I did grow up in a house that my dad built. But, perhaps, it is a long way from the reality of my situation, in which trying to get the man to do any DIY at all is an upwards struggle, and I can't do it *all* myself!
Which brings me back to the floor sanding fiasco... Well, all the sanding sheets have been used up, but after the many hours that I left the house this weekend, I had to try hard to hide my disappointment that it wasn't finished. I can see, well, some progress and a half dismantled strimmer (total distraction!). He says he will finish it tomorrow. I feel awful for *making* him do it, especially as it was so hot. But he did seem to want to do it in preference to going to some children's parties. So, how many more personalised appliqued bags will I have to make to pay for another day's worth of sander?