Hosting is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, no matter how well you plan, the unexpected happens. I have been hosting parties for friends, children, youth events, and church functions for over 20 years. Sometimes the unforeseeable events are not only surprising, but downright hilarious. So as you plan for your next gathering, laugh with me at a few of the fiascoes I have encountered over the years of hosting.
Beauty Pageant:
During a dinner party consisting of 5 adults and two teens, the two 13 year-old-girls disappeared. We figured they had tired of the dinner conversation and ventured outside, but we were wrong. Instead they had gone into my bathroom and spent about 45 minutes going through my medicine cabinet and drawers. When their parents finally went looking for them, they found these beauty queens trying on my perfume and makeup.
Keeping it Cool Award:
On one hot summer day, I walked into the kitchen to find two ten year-old girls wrestling each for use of my ice dispenser which was mounted on the outside of the refrigerator. They had taken cups out of the cupboard and were filling the cups with ice to throw at each other. It was a full on ice fight right there in my kitchen!. Cubes and melted water covered the floor. One girl slipped and slid across the floor as I walked in, landing chagrined at my feet.
Call in the Expert:
After one party, my toilet backed up. We are on a septic and since we had small children over for the party, I asked if anyone had flushed anything besides toilet paper? No one had. We plunged the toilet to no avail. Finally, we closed the door and used the other bathroom. After another day of plunging, I called in the plumber. He did his magic and finally unclogged the toilet. I asked what the problem was, sure that it had been some toy. He said in sympathy, “That poor child! That was the biggest poop I have ever seen!” (And I would imagine that in his line of business, he has seen a lot!)
Have some “Class” Please!
We had a “classroom” built on to the side of our home with its own entry. For many years, I taught writing and science classes at my home. Siblings and parents of students would sometimes sit in the backyard and wait for class to be over. I thought it would be obvious that if I was in the classroom teaching, I could not supervise the rest of the house or the yard, but that wasn’t always the case. One of the funnier incidents included a young man rollerblading up and down my hallway while I was teaching. The other memorable event featured a young man who decided to bake a pumpkin pie in my oven while I was teaching in the other room. The pie dripped into my oven and began to burn. Smoke filled the kitchen and my class was interrupted by the blaring sound of the smoke alarms. So much for homeschooling interruptions!
King of the Hill
This happened during a get-to-gather which included some moms and their children. Most of the group was outside. Meanwhile my children and I were busy inside with some last minute preparations. When I walked out of the sliding glass window which leads to our backyard, I came upon a startling scene. Some of the “guests” (boys aged 9-12) had moved the ping-pong-table from the covered patio unto the lawn. They were standing on top of the table playing “King of the Hill”. The parents had their backs turned to the sight. The conversation must have been extremely stimulating because they were completely oblivious to the fact that their children were taking turns wrestling and throwing each other off of a ping-pong-table!
So there you have it! Whether you are hosting a dinner party or a work party, guests can do the darnedest things. You may want to keep a smile in your heart as you prepare to host guests for that upcoming Thanksgiving event! Hosting is always an adventure!
What funny things have happened at your events? Leave a comment below.
