Thanks! & adventures in gardening

Thanks for your comments guys! I really am not all tied up by those should's (ok, maybe just a bit... :-) ), I was just really surprised at how many are lurking in my brain! I'm so good at telling other people not to get worked up about them, but I'm not so good at telling myself.
We talked this week about finding that place between perfection and overwhelmed and how that place isn't failure and is really a good place to be. That really makes sense to me and as I've been trying to practice, has given me a good sense of accomplishment. Yay!
but I still want to dress my kids - especially my girl - in the cutest clothes of anyone... too bad those darn Ferry & Beckett girls are sooo dang cute!!

So the adventure of the week is growing my own annuals to plant in my garden and patio pots. I got these trays and peat pellets and some seed packets and started 144 of them last Monday. I expected to wait at least a week or so before anything started growing but I had shoots by WEDNESDAY!!! Now I'm hooked. I got another tray and replacement pellets and a bunch more seeds today at Home Depot and I'm all ready to start another group of them. I'm totally saving $$ on all the plants I would buy for the pots from the nurseries and I'm all tickled with myself. Of course I'll be out of flat, warm but not too sunny locations here pretty darn soon and then what will I do with myself?!? I'm going to be the crazy knitting seedling lady!!

Should's

I've been thinking about all the "should's" in my life. I like to think that I don't have that many of them bothering me, but I've been helping out a friend of a friend with some practice counseling and I'm finding there's lots of them wandering around in my brain! And how many of them are just super big lies!!!
I should have a super clean house like my mom & mother in law. I should buy my kids lots of toys so they'll be happy. I should make them cute sweaters and stuff and dress them in cute clothes so people think I'm a good mom. I should be doing more for the church because Kim does so much. I should be keeping better track of our budget (well that's a really good should.) I should have a quiet time every day (another good one.) and lots of others...
so then the next step is how to balance all the should's into real life and realistic expectations of myself and my family. without getting all overwhelmed.
How do you all manage those should's???

Tina is Drew...

Ok, so I watched most of the show the actor's studio today and Drew Barrymore was on and I finally figured out who my good friend Tina reminds me of!!! Not the drugs & alcohol & swearing Drew, but the funny and self-confident and thinking she's a dork and successful and beautiful and all of that stuff. The big smile and that she's not all full of herself and that she thinks women can do it all but not at the expense of men - all of it really reminded me of Tina.
So there Tina! I love you girl!

I'm out of the shed for now!

I am out of the shed! I can't say I won't go back, but it is a bit chilly there with no windows and all. It has been a better week with Andrew, I've really been trying to focus attention on just him and it seems to be working pretty well. We still have our moments, but nothing like last week's screaming fits. So that's a relief!

I read a great book called "Restoring Order to your Home" by Vicki Norris and I'm really trying to put some of her ideas into practice in my house. I'd LOVE to have 2-3 days at a time to blitz some of my rooms and get them totally organized but since that's not going to happen, I'm chipping away at them and getting some processes working to get my life better organized. I just really liked some of her ideas. Like, organizing does not mean tidying. And most homes need a household hub to manage all of the paper that comes in and usually ends up in piles all over the place (hello! this is my house!!!) And, best of all, I'm not alone! I've already started a pile for goodwill in the garage of some of the easy stuff that has just been sitting in my house taking up needless room.

What else... my mom is coming next week for Katie's birthday - yea! I finally figured out insurance for us. The snow is great for all of my bulbs that are coming up in my tea party garden. And I finally got my ikea light hung up and I love it so much I'm having mom bring me another one to hang on Aaron's side of the bed!