No pictures this time. So be sad and then get on with it ;)

I was just reading another mom's thoughts on lists. I love/hate lists. I get lists going in my head and have to keep straight 8 million thoughts in my little brain that is also trying to just keep up with what my 8 year old is listening to and my 2 year old is jumping off of. It is just too much.
So I make lists.
Nothing fancy or Franklin Covey approved. I collect envelopes from junk mail and the backs of handouts from church and Village. I stack them on the counter next to the phone and at the table where I sit. If I am really organized I grab a wad of poster putty and stick it to a kitchen cabinet. That would be reserved for critical reminders like appointments and urgent grocery lists. Then I lose them all. Especially if it is a note to call someone and has their phone # on it.
I have even made daily to-do lists with M where I draw a picture next to each thing that needs to be done. He loves those and will even consent to do a few of the things on the list if the drawings are especially noteworthy.
If I make a list, one of two things usually happens. 1)I get to the end of the day and I have crossed nothing off the list and feel like the day was a total bomb. 2)I get to the end of the day and see that I have crossed lots off the list and feel fabulous.
I learned even before I was a mom from a wise mother who said to put mundane things on the list. She had saved an old list from when she had young children. It said things like, "brush Ann's hair," and "make lunch." So when I make a list I usually put things on it that most sane people would laugh at. A recent list at the table looked something like this:

• Have breakfast
• Get dressed and brush teeth-kids too
• Unload dishwasher
• Vacuum and mop downstairs
• Go to library
• Have lunch
• 5 minute dash in living room if vacuuming doesn't make it that far
• Wash diapers
• Dry diapers
• Put away diapers
• Load and run dw
• Make dinner

Depressingly enough, I feel like I've had a pretty good day if I get all this done. Even more depressing is that I often don't get this much done. Although I have days where I get lots more than this done. Notice I broke up the steps of washing the diapers. That way if they only make it to the washing machine I still get to cross something off.
It all leaves me wondering why I get so little done. Why? I'm not lazing around watching soaps. I spend time on the computer, but not hours. I read to the kids, go outside and make sure they don't beat on each other now and then. I sew too much. Oh wait, I typed that wrong--I don't sew enough! It just seems that by the time I make breakfast and clean up, get everyone dressed and ready to go and then have lunch and clean up it is time to play outside for awhile, then dinner time and my day is over. And heck, we get up at 7ish!
Then dh wonders why the house is a mess. I honestly don't know. Probably cuz we have too much shtuff. So everyone keep on me to have a yard sale this summer so I can clean out and have less stuff to make trails across the living room OK? OK!