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I over think things.  When I have an event coming up or am planning to host something at my house I often think through scenarios in my head and try to predict how everyone will behave and what I can do to lesson the impact of my hoard of small children.  The rest of this post is a bit of a rant so if you want to read my rant, click on the words read more below.

Last week at church a new member asked me how I usually watch conference.  I told her that I like to watch it at home because it’s easier for me to manage my children at home.  She then asked if she could come watch with us.  There was nothing I could think to say except "sure," although in my mind I could feel the anxiety and dread start to build.  Don’t get me wrong, I do like this woman and her family. I just started to think of all the things that could go wrong.  She has a two-year old boy and if you know what two-year old boys are like, then I don’t need to say anymore about that.  She also has a husband whose presence would prevent me from nursing Ila as I watched.  Since we were already having extra people come, Zach invited an investigator who has been working with the sisters.  I fretted all week about what I could do so that I could listen to conference and so that this investigator could listen and feel the spirit. I spent extra time cleaning and re-arranged some things so that it would be easier to keep the two-year-olds quiet.  I assumed that I wouldn’t be able to do any enriching activities with the big kids because of the need to manage the small ones.  I could spend more time detailing all the preparations I made (including making a meal for everyone), but it’s sufficient to say that I spent much time fretting and preparing.  About an hour before the first session, the investigator called to cancel.  The new members didn’t call and didn’t come.  While I was somewhat relieved, I also found myself feeling a little frustrated.  I would have prepared for conference differently if I knew it would just be my family.  I would have spent more time preparing for enriching activities for the older kids and showing them how to use them.

I also got a jump on things earlier in the week when we were planning to have the missionaries over for dinner.  I always worry when I’m having someone over for dinner that if I wait until the day of the dinner to start cooking, that something crazy will happen or the kids will be really needy when I need to be cooking.  So I prepped dinner for Thursday on Wednesday after lunch.  A few hours later I found out that we had a new sister who was allergic to two ingredients in the dinner I had made.  I panicked a little when I realized that I needed to prepare a new meal and I didn’t know if I could find anything that I had enough of to serve to our family and both the elders and sisters that did not include any of the ingredients that she was allergic to.  It’s funny how when you’re told you can’t use certain ingredients, the only things you can think to make have those ingredients in them!  Anyway, it all worked out in the end and didn’t end up being a big deal.