Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I'm the list, I'm the list, I'm the list...*

I used to be such a list maker.

I don't know why I ever stopped. Making lists gave me some sense of control over my life, and a way to measure that things were getting accomplished.

Did I just become too busy to make lists? When Will was very little and I'd get up in the middle of the night to feed him, I often times couldn't fall back asleep without writing all my "to dos" down on a sheet of paper.

But some time during this past year, with Jay in school full time and both of us working full time (opposite shifts, I may add for new readers) I stopped making lists -- it very well could be due to the fact that so little was getting crossed off them that the prospect of looking at so long a list was overwhelming.

Well, I started to jot things down again, and my list is getting longer and longer. So what I decided to do instead was to keep a "master list" of all the bigger home projects (as if we'd forget this stuff!) but tuck it away to visit periodically. For daily stuff, I'm going to keep shorter lists -- of "to dos" that can be accomplished in a single day. I'll take items off of the bigger list and put them on my daily list as I can, and my thinking is that eventually I'll see some progress!

The above is the list I made Monday morning at work.** I'm happy to say that most of these items are done. (Making the hair cut appointment had to wait until today; the salon is closed on Mondays. I should have known!) In addition, I got to Target to pick up the additional totes I needed to put the rest of our winter clothes away. (Turns out there were some items in the wash that I've discovered over the past few days!)



My ultimate goal is to get to at least one of the larger projects each week. This past Friday night, before heading out of town for the weekend I put the gate up in the doorway of the boys' room and washed the living room area rug. It needed it BAD! (See how pretty it is now? I can't believe my poor kids were playing on that thing! You should have seen the water I dumped out of the carpet cleaner! Twice!)

So...today's list will be shorter because I'm off to Chicago to work for the day. But with any luck when I get home later I'll have enough energy left to play with the kids!

*To the tune of the world-famous "I'm the Map!" from Dora the Explorer. 100 points if you got that reference without me telling you and you are now singing the tune in your head. Sorry.

**In case you've never heard of threading, its an ancient middle eastern hair removal technique. (Check it out on YouTube.) Since I break out INSANELY from waxing, this is for me!

8 comments:

Rick said...

I was just surfing through and decided to click on the link to the "threading" video. I've got to tell you, that WAS THE WEIRDEST!!! video I have ever seen. One more reason I'm glad that the good Lord made me a guy.

http://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/

Melissa said...

I'm a list maker too, makes me feel like I accomplished something. Hair appt for me and dentist for Gavin were on my list too this week.

I left you an award over on my post today if you want to stop by and pick it up :)

Lisa said...

Oh, yes.. Lists! I have lists of lists! And, yes, darnit ~ you got that stupid Dora song in my head now... Going to check out what "threading" is now... Blessings today!

Suzie said...

I always seem to loose my list.

Happy2bme said...

I can't grocery shop without a list!

As for the carpet, I feel like I'm a professional rug shampooer since the new puppy came into the house.

morninglight mama said...

Oh, you know how much I love me a good list! :) And, once again, we were totally on the same wavelength, as I immediately read the title of this post to the tune of that lovely little ditty... and yes, that is now stuck in my head... although I can always knock it out by simply thinking the words Dragon Tales, and then that terrible tune starts the neverending loop in my head...

Mama Smurf said...

I'm thanking you with a snort right now! I thought my Dora days were a thing of the past...yeah...thanks....snort!

I'm getting better at the list making. It helps!

Anonymous said...

Now I'l have to clean MY rug so yours doesn't put mine to shame!! I'll add it to my list of weekend jobs - ha!

I don't write lists as much now either but that's because whenever I do, Alexander gets out his crayons and scribbles all over them, which as beautiful as it is, really irritates me and I feel the need to re-write it. Then it turns into 'Groundhog Day'.