And nail clippers under the couch. I also store scissors in the drawer next to the stove and a hair brush in my knitting bag. Not necessarily on purpose, more that I’ve noticed that that is where they’ve ended up, and make the deliberate choice to keep them there. The sharpie markers in the freezer – I have actually managed to collect all of them and put them in the freezer after noticing that the yellow one had someone made it in there and still functioned perfectly well. It strikes me a great storage spot, high enough up so that none of the kids can find it, and easy enough to access if I decide I need it.
My organizational skills are somewhat haphazard. I feel as though I’m sort of organized, I haven’t lost any of the children, and can almost always locate my keys and sunglasses. I did have to drive the kids to school today barefoot because I couldn’t find my shoes, but that’s rare.
It drives my husband nuts, the way I keep things organized. He’s the exact opposite of me. There’s very little he keeps track of, but what he does keep track of is always meticulously put back where it belongs. His dresser drawers are organized to a scary degree, in my opinion, and I think it’s a little disturbing to be able to recite from memory exactly where you put the peanut butter. For me, it’s enough that the socks are washed and dried. In a basket, or in a drawer. I gave up sorting socks a couple of months ago, and have successfully taught the children that mismatched socks are the preferred choice. Only boring people match their socks. At least that’s what I tell them. Jessie is a little less likely to believe it, but even she’s flexible enough to wing it. I don’t think Sam even notices.
I know vaguely where almost everything is. And that’s a lot of stuff. I have three children, two of which are major hoarders, and a ridiculous amount of stuff floats around this house. I can sort of tell you where most of it is. Most of the time. It’s not perfect, for example, I’m still not sure where Julie’s red hat went. And Jessie’s American Girl had a brush that went missing about two weeks ago, I still can’t locate that.
My system isn’t perfect. Case in point, my feet were freaking FREEZING this morning on the drive to school. But I have to give myself points and credit for keeping track of as much as I do. Three kids, three outfits, three lunchboxes (yes, I know Julie doesn’t need one, but when I tried to convince her of that fact, I lost – now she gets a lunchbox just like the two older kids). Three coats, three pairs of socks, six shoes. All of that, and only half a cup of coffee. That’s impressive.
So I’m not going to feel bad anymore about my lack of organization. Because really, you can’t compare being able to keep track of five things the way my husband does (keys, wallet, phone, shoes, and peanut butter) and the fifteen thousand things that I’m sort of keeping track of, a little bit. And when all else fails, at least I know where the sharpies are.
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