Critical-holics anonymous

I need serious help. I'm so critical! And I don't know that I'm am when I am and I don't know that I am until way after I am...if at all.

I really don't know what to do about it. This sounds like a funny post but I am being very serious. I have a tell problem and I need a real solution as impossible as it sounds to have a solution to something you barely recognize.

One issue: I usually think I'm just critical of myself because I tend to expect a lot of me. So I think I'm just hard on myself and others don't get the same from me or I don't have as high expectations of others. In reality that just isn't true.

Maybe if I reduce how hard I am on me, I will in effect ease up those around me....because what I wish people knew about me is I don't want to be critical of other people. I would prefer to hold myself to high standards. I do not prefer to hooks others to that. But maybe it all morphs together and I can't tell the difference.

Random...

1. I'm very frustrated every time I go inside my food cabinets to get something because I haven't decided how I want to organize them....and there are zero brainstorms happening about it. I guess I need to get "pinteresting" about it...

Matt, my counselor, would say I'm probably way over-thinking this.

2. It's really sad that I often know todays date because of what the "Use By" dates are on my food in the fridge. That's called OCD. I should probably say "Thanks Dad!" for that one. Lol!

If that is confusing to you...I mean, I knew today was March 26 because the hot sausage in my fridge had the date of 3/26 on it so I knew on Wed I needed to either cook my hot sausage or freeze it. Now no lectures about how that date isn't the exact date for it to go bad but I try to use that date for my own brain or I would accidentally let it go way past that date and then it would get stinky and I would have to throw it away.

Yeah, ok....Matt would probably say I definitely need an extra session on over-thinking now! Lol!

I miss baking

I love baking.....
It's one of the things I'm realizing that I have missed doing lately.

It's not always easy to do in someone else's kitchen or maybe I should say easy to enjoy. And even when I lived in Philippi...I guess I just never got to a place where I enjoyed baking again. Well, and probably after driving so much all the time because I lived so far away, I just didn't feel like it and I had too many other things to do.

Anyway, I'm excited to get used to my new place and start doing some of those things that I enjoy again. I just like baking....well, and cooking. I do enjoy cooking too. I made dinner last night and it was just stuff I threw together to make my own pasta dish and it was delicious! It's probably because I'm the only one who will be eating it. The girls won't eat the same thing I do...I made them a deconstructed version before I started mixing things together and seasoning them. I have spent the past couple years cookign for some very, VERY, VERY picky eaters. So cooking with freedom when it's only for me....delicious!

Late post...

I didn't realize I hadn't published this post. I put these pictures in and saved it as a draft back when we first moved in or new place in March. I took the girls to ride their bikes in the church parking lot near us. It was a nice day and my girls love having their pictures taken. So, better late than never...

We're in!

We've moved into our new house! Here's a quick picture we took with our new address in the background!

The IKEA experience

I feel so proud today. Like a proud parent.

I took my Mom and Bob to their first trip to IKEA. Well that's all Bob thought it was. A trip to just another store. Until halfway through the store, when we stopped for lunch...we had already been there for about 2 hours.

I really hadn't briefed anyone beforehand regarding what they were in for. Mainly because I didn't realize neither of them had ever been there. Anyway... lunch... Lunch was a pitstop....a quick break to rest our feet and get some food and drink for renewed energy. Haha! Talk at lunch was how surprised they were that some things were nicely made (from a contractors perspective, apparently), how cheap some things were, and how they had no idea what they were in for...they thought it was just a store. My response...nope, IKEA is an experience.

I have never been to IKEA for less than 3 hours. Andy and I planned babysitters before so we could spend hours in IKEA. I'm sure if we lived closer to IKEA our trips could be quicker. I wouldn't even know what a 1/2 hr stop there would look like! How would you decide where to start, how would just choose what to look at, how would choose what NOT to look at?! These sound like really difficult decisions. So for me, I prefer my 3 hour plus IKEA excursions. I just know I can't go there without my ADHD medication!! Lol!