The Checklist

Do you ever feel like life is becoming a checklist? I think that's how I have felt recently. And when things don't get crossed off the list when they are supposed to (or not at all), I stress out. The last couple weeks have been quite stressful, I have put in tons of hours at the clinic and the birth center while still trying to do homework, earn a bit of money, and do wifely duties around the home. Jon doesn't really expect me to do all the cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc - but I am the one with the car. So if I'm gone at a birth and there are no groceries in the house, that kind of sucks for him. And if I don't get the clothes to the cleaners, that also kind of sucks for him. Good thing it's still warm and he can wear polo shirts that are machine washable. The cleaning - well, we've both just been okay with living in a not-so-spic-and-span home. Neither of us feel like cleaning all that often.

So here is my current checklist:

☑ Submit medical insurance information for auto accident (back in April)
☑ Submit first draft of thesis to advisory committee
☑ Bring dry-cleaning away
□ Hand wash table cloths and bed spread (table cloths are all dirty as of now)
□ Unclog bathroom sink
□ Attend lactation consultant workshop for course on Breastfeeding and write a paper on it
□ Complete 20 witness births so I can start active participant births
□ Complete 20 blood draws
□ Complete maternal and newborn vitals log
□ Complete course on Breastfeeding
□ Write devotional for church book that I promised to do about a month ago
□ Perspectives class (I have agreed to help coordinate Perspectives at our church – a whole checklist of its own!
□ Get back on track with marathon training!!!

This is my list for October. Obviously, I won't get all of it done in the next 10 days, but I'm gonna try my best for most of them.

You will notice that there are two big weights off my back: 1) submission of my thesis!!!! It's only the first draft, so now my advisory committee is reviewing it and will send it back with suggestions. Then I have to revise, and resubmit and prepare for my oral defense. Yikes. I'll think about that later.

2) submission of our medical insurance stuff - we sent the insurance company a packet that outlines everything we need to pay and what we need reimbursement for. So maybe that will finally come to a close soon! We waited so long because there were still some bills being worked out with the physical therapy place. Anyhow - we're hoping for Christmas bonus!

Anyhow - so life is a bit of a checklist right now, but I'm okay with that. I took time to "smell the roses" last night with Jon - we ordered pizza and watched NCIS. We get leftover pizza tonight - two nights in a row with no cooking for either of us! Yay! Tonight, though, we have our LIFE group (through church) which means this afternoon is homework time. So - off I go. Back to the checklist!