Is that what I sound like?

Joan has been really trying lately. I love her so much, but man, she wears me out somedays.

Last week she was puking and having diarrhea, so I gave her some slack for her very cranky attitude and rude behavior. But this week, she's fine. And no, she's not rude or cranky anymore - she's just herself - inquisitive, talkative, and careful.

Those are good traits. But she is incapable of going with the flow or being patient and waiting to see how things play out. She's got to know what we're having for lunch, snack, and dinner all by 8:30 am and if she doesn't care for those dishes, she wants to talk and discuss all the options. She's worried about what time Evelyn will come over or if school is today or tomorrow. She wants to know if she'll get to watch her movie and eat popcorn with it. She needs to know the day before, whether or not she can wear a dress the next day. It's not just the questioning that's hard to keep up with, it's her emotional reaction to the answers that are also exasperating, because most of the time, she doesn't like the answers.

I applaud her natural tendency to plan and expect - that's how her Momma rolls, too. But now having been on the receiving end of her worries and preparations, I might want to rethink my habits or at least the intensity with which I do them, for everyone else's sake. I mean, do I sound like that?

Is it weird that in December I drew sketches for our art booth for a local festival taking place in April?

And that I arranged where everyone will sleep on vacation with my extended family when we visit Alabama in July?

What about the mental preparations I've been making for the girls' birthdays in May and July?

And then there's the idea list for Valentine's Day, Lent, and Easter running around in my head.

I'm sure there's more, but I need to go update my itinerary for tomorrow's Cotton District work-day.