I’m a list maker. There, I’ve said it.

A substantial portion of [...]]]> I’m leaving tomorrow with my girlfriends to sunny Jacksonville Florida on an extended Mommy Break Weekend. Over the course of the past week, coworkers, friends, and even my husband have all given me a same similar smirk followed by, “Have you made your list yet?”

I’m a list maker. There, I’ve said it.

A substantial portion of my hard drive is dedicated to files containing packing lists for each trip we’ve taken over the past decade. I justify this with the thought process, “isn’t it good to have something to look back on when packing for a similar trip?” For instance, what I pack to the Cape is very different from what I would pack to Myrtle, or to a wedding, or to a theme park, or…

I wish I could say I stop there. For the purpose of Christmas gift buying preparations, I have a file with a worksheet for each year dating back to 2002. The yearly worksheets contain the names of each gift recipient, the budgeted dollar amount I have to spend on each person, the potential gift options I may buy, the actual gift I buy, the actual amount I spend, the dollar difference so that I may keep track of any cost savings or losses (due to sales or if I go over budget), if it’s been shipped, and whether it’s been wrapped. I have a whole color coding and bolding system as well to help me identify who is done and who still has tasks remaining. This list has become infamous with my coworkers (for obvious reasons I hide it from friends and family). Each year they ask to see the list, and continue to marvel at my progress throughout the holiday season. I don’t know what I would do without this list, and I have no idea how I managed prior to 2002. Yes, I have a backup saved.

But wait, there’s more! Shopping trip? I have slender pads stored in my kitchen so that I may keep track of everything I need to buy. Well child check? I prepare my list of questions for the doctor so that I may fire away and check them off one by one while at the visit. Hosting a party? I have the entire menu written down, including the cook and serving times for each item. There’s also a separate list for parties with to-do’s, from cleaning the bathrooms to replacing the muppines in the kitchen.

I like lists. I crave order, which is ridiculous because order is a complete oxymoron with My Life. It seems we live in a constant state of chaos. Toys are freaking everywhere. Mail is in dire need of a better system. Laundry is always plentiful. House it seems is never clean for long. Didn’t I just do those dishes? Yes you did, but there’s more. So maybe I take my bits of sanity where I may, and control what I can. Snicker as you will. Life, is so much more organized when I have lists. Now, what to pack…

Our 2006 trip to Florida