Confessions of a Thinkaholic

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to TX to see my parents. My amazing husband let me go despite the fact that it required a decent amount of money as well as him taking a day off of work to stay home with Noah. Thank you honey! He never ceases to amaze me. Anyway, we were on Texas soil for a total of 2 days and 18 hours. I was in the car for 5.5 of those hours which was fine, but it definitely made the trip feel even shorter. Wesley did amazing and brought joy to everyone he saw. He's at that awesome age where he is still free (on an airplane) and kind of clueless when it comes to seeing 5 different families in such a short amount of time. I loved having some time with my parents and just taking a break from parenting 2 children. It's no secret that Noah has been trying lately so it was perfect that he got to have special time with Daddy.
One thing that might have made the trip even more pleasant is if my dog gone frontal lobe could just STOP processing thoughts for a time. Do you ever feel like you are thinking while everyone else is enjoying the simple things happening in each moment? As my post is titled, I believe I'm a thinkaholic. The obvious problem with that is there is no group to go to or 3 step program to kick the addiction. And how does one even become this way anyway??? I would love your thoughts. :) ha ha No seriously, though, I wish I could tell you I come up with the most splendid inventions or ideas, organizational plans, money making schemes, ministry brilliance, or new philanthropic approaches to my life. My thinking probably grazes all those topics but never with any significant result. No, mostly I think about theories, pointless daydreams, philosophical nonsense, problem-solving (with things that aren't my problems) and hypothetical happenings. Oh, and I play old conversations through my head and try to analyze what the other people were thinking when they said those words; what their motives were, and give them an overall character evaluation. I'm a mess---truly. So you can only imagine with a mind like mine what happens when I'm sitting on a plane for 2 hours and Wesley is asleep in my arms and I have no hands to read a magazine or grab my Ipod. All I can do is look around or stare at my tray table and think. Or I'm driving to Tyler, TX in a van with my parents and no music (seriously, who on earth drives long car drives with no music?????). Or I'm driving from Tyler, TX to where I used to live looking at all the establishments that are not mine to frequent anymore or passing business or homes that contain people I can't visit anymore or say hello to. Or I'm staring at the brut of a gate attendant on AirTran Airways that tells me I can't bring my infant's car seat on the plane unless I paid for his seat. WHATEVER. Okay, so that last example really doesn't apply to what I was saying but I did want to wack her over the head with my backpack. :)
I just wish my thinking was more productive. Instead it usually leaves me foggy and discontent. I might enjoy the little moments and little things if my mind would just take a break! Well, my eldest son needs to be read to before bed, so I'm gonna go do that. But I'm sure after that I'll spend some quality time thinking about my trip to TX---how I felt about it, what it lacked, the people I saw, the people I didn't get to see, how it compares to IN, etc, etc. Oh, and I've already thought about all those things, just so you know. But a thinkaholic never stops. Repetition is no match for this brain. In fact, it thrives on it. So if you have an idea for how to channel all this thinking in some ultra-productive way, drop me a line. And I'll think about it.