The Efficient Multi-Tasker

If I had to describe myself, I would call myself an "efficient multi-tasker"...I mean, it's on my resume and everything. I make lists upon lists...I have a list for the working mornings, the weekend mornings, a grocery list, a weekly and monthly list and even an on-going list of things that hopefully will get done in my life time...oh yeah, I have Jon's list that also falls into the "things I hope will get done in my life time" category. I LOVE to mark tasks off my lists...it's one of my favorite things EVER. I can literally get more done in an hour of time then most people get done in one day and I am not exaggerating. When it was just the baby and me at home I could...clean and fill bottles, get my lunch ready, put a box or two in the attic, fold and put clothes away, throw dirty clothes in the laundry, sweep the floors and vacuum the carpets in just one of the many 15-minute intervals that he slept. When I walk into a room I instinctively do a brief "assessment" of what needs to be done...I rarely walk out of a room in our house without an armful of misplaced objects, toys, or clothes that need to be returned to their rightful places...it's just what I do. I like that I am this way and am a little tickled thinking about it right now because it's a little ridiculous. I will say that some days I am totally thrown off...my focused efficienct behavior becomes more like a muddled hazy wondering...this actually happened to me the other day and it was awful! I was cleaning the bottles and realized in the midst of the washing that there were no paper towels on the paper towel holder. I am not sure why it bothered me so much (probably something to do with the constant need for them), but I stopped what I was doing and headed into the laundry room which is about 8 steps from the kitchen sink. I walked in and immediately noticed that the laundry was done so I took out the dry clothes...and took them to the chair that acts as our clean laundry truck stop...all laundry stops here first...it may stay for an hour or 8 days...it just depends. I walked back through the kitchen and started to finish the bottles...about a minute passed...oh yeah, paper towels, back to the laundry room...oh yeah, the laundry...I put the washed clothes in the dryer and started a new load. Noticed the dogs had no water and rolled back to the sink where the bottles were waiting, filled the bowl, put it aside to finish the bottles...now clean...they need to be filled! Crap...paper towels...off I go to the laundry room with the water bowl....the first thing I see when I walk in is the extremely full recycling bin that can not miss yet another weeks emptying. Out I go through the back door and come in through the front door to be greeted by Henry who needs juice immediately...and in 2 year old fashion, he needs to do it all himself...he has to open the fridge door, get the juice out by HIMSELF because he's so big, tell me how strong he is and then spill it all over the floor...of course, I reach for a paper towel...ggggrrrr....I grab the last clean cloth towel and sop it all up and then console the "big boy" that is so sad over spilled juice...never knew I would ever say out loud, "There's no use in crying over spilled juice." After various other distractions and spills I went BACK to the laundry room to get the freaking paper towel roll...of course, by now, yet another load of laundry was ready for the truck stop. After loading the ever present clothes into the washer I find myself staring at the "catch all" shelf wondering what in the world I am doing in the laundry room...oh yeah...I must tidy this place up...after much irritating organizing, I find the last paper towel roll in the house and bring it to it's home on it's holder. Realizing that we cannot live without paper towels, I head out to Target to get more paper towels....also on my list is toilet paper...in my obvious haze,I thought I was buying paper towels and toilet paper, but much to my surprise I had purchased 2 ginormous packs of paper towels. I now have 32 rolls of paper towels in my laundry room and trip over them constantly as a reminder that I may not be the most efficient muli-tasker that I know...