I have many lists in many places, depending on what is actually ON the list.  I used to tease my mom about her lists (let this post stand as yet another public apology to her), but I’ve since realized the importance of lists: they give us the freedom to forget things.  At work I schedule the worship team every week, and sometimes I get asked who is scheduled.  My answer will always be, “I don’t know, I’ll have to look at my list.”  I write things down so they don’t take up room in my head.  I have enough other things taking up residence!  Last spring I had sinus surgery and my mom came to take care of the kids for four days while I recovered.  I wrote down their schedules, what was for lunch, what the options were to pack if they didn’t want hot lunch, how to use the carpool lines at their schools, etc.  When I had to actually write out the things that I do on a daily basis that are just in my head… I was quite impressed!!  You should do it sometime.  Honestly, we’re amazing. : )

Anyway, I have a dry erase board on my refrigerator that has four different lists going simultaneously.  I was looking at it recently, pondering the value of this board.  On the top left is the list of items in the freezer – meat and leftovers that I froze.  On the top right is the list of jobs Chad wants to get done around the house.  On the bottom left is where we write things we ran out of, then when I make my grocery list I look here and decide if I need to buy any of it this week or not.  (Note: I prefer that Chad write things here instead of on my oh-so-precious grocery list, that is written in aisle-order and he just doesn’t know aisle-order yet.  Sweet Chad.)  And on the bottom right was a list of things I needed to pack yet for a trip to Illinois and KNEW that if I didn’t write them somewhere I would forget.

Managing a home is a LOT of work.  Detailed work.  List-making work.  So what do you do to keep your head from spinning off?