I'm making a list...

There was a time when I would make fun of people who made lists. Sure, I always made lists. As a college student, I would take great joy in looking though all of my notes and exam schedules, prioritizing the amount of study time per class and exam. Math and science first, English and humanities last, statistics never. I would never take these lists into my personal life, however. My personal life was a shambles, while my school life ran like clockwork. In graduate school, I did realize this dichotomy, but school/work was a major portion of my life, and I couldn't be bothered to fix up my personal life, I just let it kind of chug along without order, saying I would "fix it" when I graduated. When I graduated from school, for once and for all, I was married with a baby on a way. Talk about a new life! Now I really had to get the personal life in order. I began making lists. Like I already said, lists were not unknown to me, but it had just never occurred that I could take this lovely OC smacking behavior and apply it to my dull, boring life. But it works. I made grocery lists, list of things to do in the week, list of things still needed to purchase for the baby, lists for dinner that night, etc. When I started my job, my OC list-making once again turned toward the work related. I realized pretty quick that I couldn't let things slide at home. Mostly because I still have some OC, control freak tendencies and I couldn't bear the thought of my mother running my household. OK, back to the simple beauty of the list. I love making lists. There is a certain satisfaction one feels at the end when you look at the list and everything has been checked off. Or a certain panic when things don't get checked off. Usually, however once things make my list, they will get done. I cannot stand to see the item with no tick mark next to it. Jason knows this about me, so when he leaves the country, he will leave me a list of things to do. He knows that is he doesn't leave the list, I tend to "forget" to do things, and he will come home to collection letters from the exterminators or something. SO he leaves me a list. And I usually do everything on it. Usually. Most of the time. I made a list for Thanksgiving, as my sister and niece were in town, and I decided I would cook. It was unfortunate that Thanksgiving was also during NaNoWriMo, so my list was not as timely as I had wanted. Of course I had it delegated to tasks for each day, along with separate lists for the menu, shopping lists, etc. It was a bit of a mess at the end, I'll admit. Thanksgiving morning did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. I get to do it again. Now it is for Christmas. I have already began the lists. Well, just one really, the gift list. I hate it. I still have about three more gifts to buy. In desperation I told Jason that he had to buy for his dad and brother, after all, he knows them far better than I. I already bought for his Mom ad sister, and I have to say, NICE GIFTS. You know it's a good gift when you want to keep it for yourself. I still have to make the menu list, the shopping list, the schedule list, and the task list. I am looking forward to making these lists, of course. My niece and nephew are coming for Christmas, so I will be cooking again. I don't think it will be quite the production of thanksgiving. I am due with number two Jan 12, and I am already tired. Also, I'm not taking any official PTO over the season, so. Wish me well on my list making.