I do love a list.....

I love a list.  I always have done. I buy notebooks, planners, diaries, and those long pads for "lists". I write my lists on scraps of paper, napkins, the back of old envelopes and new sheets of printer paper (folded in half). I wake up in the morning, sit down with a cuppa and plan my list.  Sometimes I write my "To do" list for the month and divide it up into days. I always write it for the day ahead.

I know I'm not the only one in my family who loves a list.  Ma writes one for her shopping, and sis writes one just like mine and sometimes we compare lists and it's surprising how similar they are.  I like to write mine in the order of the day.  Sis writes hers as the ideas pop into her mind. Most of mine states the obvious and sometimes I cheat and add something which I've already done, like walk the dog.  I know, I know, it's something I do everyday anyway, but adding it makes me see how much I've achieved during the day.

1. Get up
2. Wash hair
3. Take kids to school
4. Walk the dogs.....

You get the picture? A clear picture of my day before it happens.  By crossing off each item and recapping (with another cuppa), I can see how much I actually do.  I do get a bit obsessive at times and re-start a messy list.  Sis ticks hers, which makes me wonder whether it's possible she may do things twice, whereas my crossing out denotes a clear end to that task.

Like most families, I have the "Organiser" calender.  Each of us have our own columns, and I put parties, dentists appointments and meetings on it.  Woe betide anyone who adds to this calender and doesn't ask for my permission! I like a tidy calender, with neat writing, otherwise I get confused and could end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At the beginning of the month BH and I go through our timetable and list where we will be at any given time.  If he grabs the calender, I know he's going to mess it up and I'll have to re-do it...I must be a bit of a control freak!  Miriam has her own column with the days she's expected to cover for us (which is generally only 2-3 days each month), and sometimes I'll add in a couple of baby-sitting nights, just in case.  We always cancel, and she knows this so she always organises something for herself anyway.

"I knew you'd cancel" she says "I go out wiz my friends.  You haff boring life."

The boys have picked up my love of lists but not to such an extent.  They write their Christmas list (they are warned it's a guide for Santa!), and they have a list for their homework.  They know what they do on any given day by just looking at the calender, and if I omit the dentist or music lesson, they wail,

"But it wasn't on the calendar!"

I have a drawer full of all my notebooks and I get such pleasure from reading through them and seeing what I have actually achieved throughout my life.  I wonder what would happen if I didn't plan my day.  I think I would drift aimlessly through my days without any idea of what I should be doing.  I'm not sure I would function.

I do love a list, I do!