The To Do List

I like lists. I always have. I like to make lists, but mostly I really like to check things off of lists as I accomplish them. (Refrain from making fun of me.) Before I had my children I used to make lists all the time. I would get up in the morning and make a list of things I needed to pick up on my way home from work.

1.     Eggs

2.     Milk

3.     Bread

4.     Wine

5.     Chocolate

On my way to work I would start to make another list in my head of the things I needed to accomplish once I got into the office that day. Once I actually got into my office and got myself my hot cup of coffee, I would sit down at my desk and write the list in my head down onto paper.

1.     Answer emails

2.     Return Bob’s phone call.

3.     Print Purchase Orders

4.     Schedule meeting.

5.     Attend meeting.

6.     Find out where Becky got her shoes.

7.     Get car washed.

8.     Go to the bank.

9.     Make a mani/pedi appointment for Friday.

10.  Finish Report.

By the end of the day I had always accomplished everything on my list. That’s right EVERY. SINGLE. THING. I mean I may not have crossed them off in the order I had written them down but man alive I got all that crap done.

Then…I had kids.

I still like making lists. I just don’t accomplish much of the things listed on them anymore. Half of the time I don’t even get to write everything on the actual list that runs through my head all day long. Now a typical list looks something like this:

1.     Make a list (this is in my head)

2.     Go to the grocery store.

Milk, eggs, bread, goldfish, chicken, Cheerios, applesauce, yogurt sticks, snacks, oh and more snacks.

3.     Go to Target.

Pull-ups, wipes, kids shampoo, toilet paper, and at least 8 things I don’t need.

4.     Make cupcakes for school. (Crap I forgot to buy stuff for cupcakes!)

5.     Call husband tell him to pick up pre-made cupcakes on his way home.

6.     Schedule birthday party.

7.     Wash all the sheets and towels.

8.     Answer emails.

9.     Answer text messages from yesterday (yup that’s right I have to remind myself to do this. I literally will look at a text and then have to put my phone down because “I’m done pooping!!” is being shouted down the hallway and off I go.) Sometimes I feel like I have the attention span of a dog….Squirrel.

10.                        Oh crap speaking of dog, feed the dog.

11.                        Put sheets and towels in the dryer.

12.                        Put more laundry in the washer.

13.                        Vacuum.

14.                        Sign the kid up for soccer.

15.                        Find out how you sign the kid up for soccer.

16.                        Take a shower.

17.                        Call the plumber.

18.                        Wine. Buy wine.

19.                        Start dinner.

I can tell you on an average day I accomplish # 1, 10 & 18 (because duh!) the rest of the list gets interrupted by helping with homework, breaking up Lego fights, icing my foot from said Lego fight, reading books to the kids, answering 112 toddler questions before noon and making the kids three meals a day. I’ve learned I don’t really need the list anymore. All the list accomplishes is reminding me what I didn’t do all day. At the end of the day when I get into bed and the boys are happy, safe, loved and sleeping I chalk that up as a success. Today I potty trained the 3yo and I took a shower and for that I get some type of extra flipping bonus points. Ah crap I think I forgot to feed the dog.