Maintaining and Projecting...

Yesterday, I made a tent on the deck for the girls, so I could clean without them making messes behind me. As usual in our home, Kiki sought to cherish what she has, while Debris sought to enjoy it--via it's flamboyant destruction. Needless to say, I didn't get much cleaning done, due to the fact that poor Kiki was constantly hollering at me to come redo the tent for her, while Debris gleefully messed it up, time and time again. After approximately my 900th time coming out to re-fix the tent for Kiki, Debris finally yelled at me as I walked out the front door, yet again, "Mommy, you need to sew today! Will you just go sew so I can mess this up?!"

Apparently my one-track-mindedness is obvious, even to my children. See, I've come to the conclusion that there are "maintenance people" in the world, and there are "project people" in the world. I am a project person, all the way. When performing maintenance, ie. cleaning, general household organization, laundry, etc., I am as distractable as a honey bee. I wouldn't say I hate household chores, I would just say that I only do them because I hate disorder and messes slightly more than I hate chores. BUT, if you give me a project, NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING will interrupt my focus. I can, and have, sewed, read, cooked, baked, whatever, for hours on end, without breaking to look at the clock, eat, pee, or check on what my children are destroying. Nothing gets in my way of the end goal. NOTHING! I've recently realized this about myself, and as chaos ensues around here when I get into this mode, I'm trying very hard to fix it. I've discovered that I can trick my mind into thinking everyday chores are like projects, if I get up every Monday morning, and make a list of what I must get done that day, week, whatever. This helps my single mindedness and my mundane household work meet in the middle. So, what I do is I mix projects, and household maintenance into one list, see below, and then I try to do fun project, household maintenance, fun project, household maintenance. If you're one of those people who manages to be both a project and a maintenance sort of person, simultaneously, and do it well--then go away. I hate you. (Not really Mom! Relax... I don't actually hate anyone!)

But see, there's an art to making a good list. An achievable list. For example, I have a huge project that I am working on right now. It's C and Dhasa's wedding gift, a quilt I'm making for them. I cannot put this on my list, because if I did, I would have to write, cross out, and re-write, clean floors, clean bathrooms, approximately 12 times before I actually was able to cross out C & Dhasa's quilt. It would make me insane. The fact that I must stop and sleep before finishing this quilt is making me insane, much less all the other daily mumbo jumbo that interrupts my projects. Also, originally this week I had "finish laundry" on this list. I have finished the laundry 3 times since Monday. I finally wiped it off the list. The friggin' laundry is never done. Like I always say, "If you don't do it naked, you're not done with the laundry." Unfortunately, my family will not comply when I ask them to remove their clothes so I can finish the laundry. As of Tuesday, it is my firm resolve to NEVER put "finish laundry" on my to-do list ever again. It's just depressing. I'm never done with it, so why pretend? Might as well just do more laundry, and be cheerful about it. Mind over matter, my friends, mind over matter.

What I need is to meet someone who is an uber-maintenance person. I will tackle their projects, they can tackle my dishes. And laundry. And dirty floors. And toilets. And windows. And... I will wake up every morning, and tackle a project, alternating between their house and mine. Here is a partial list of what I plan on accomplishing between now and the end of March at my house.

-Get all Hardscaping done for landscaping to commence in spring

-Finish C and Dhasa's quilt

-Paint entire interior of home

-Re-finish Kitchen Table and chairs and bar stools

-Paint ugly kitchen (top and bottom) and both bathroom cabinets

-Make two flower girl dresses for G's wedding

-Re-Upholster Glider Rocker

-Make Frank Castle a hunting themed rag quilt for his birthday

-Make B and G a quilt for their wedding gift

-Make a super large king sized quilt for our bed

Now, I know this is a partial list. I feel other projects nagging me in the back of my mind, I just can't think of what they are right now. I'm sure I could finish all this, if I didn't have those pesky things like my family's need for food, clothing, and cleanliness, etc., to get in my way. If only I could wake up every morning, and tackle a project. That would be a happy life. But, at the same time, then I probably wouldn't be a well rounded sort of person. So, I will attempt to do all things cheerfully, and most likely not finish quite as many projects, but at least I will have a cleanish sort of home. Which, when you're a project-y sort of soul like myself, will be a great accomplishment. *Grin* :-) Mind over matter.

As I've pondered my one-track-mindedness, I've come to liken it to road trips. I ADORE Road trips. The planning, the adrenaline rush of getting ready, settling in the car, driving away, the appropriate music choices, etc,. Road trips are the projects of the driving world. I am very good about following speed limits in boring around town driving. Well, for the most part. The speed limits in Wenatchee may make me a stark raving mad woman one of these days, but for the most part, I follow them. BUT, road trips, well, that's a different story. I MUST GET THERE! We are not to be passed. We must be passing or catching up to someone to pass at all times. I have actually had to pee from North Bend until Olympia before stopping, because I felt I could make it one more exit for a very long time. Same thing with Yakima, to almost Hood River. Besides, it's very annoying to pull over, and then have to re-pass people when you get back on the freeway. Needless to say, I am almost never allowed to drive when we're on trips anymore. Sigh. Gotta work on that.

Anyway, the reason for this involved post is because I am curious. Am I weird? (Ok, don't answer that.) Or, is every one else out there the same way? Since I have maintenance angst, I'd bet there might be someone out there who loves maintenance, and feels deep dread at the thought of a project. So, leave me a comment. Let me know. Are you a project person, or a maintenance person? And, shoot, if you are both, don't go away! Please leave me a comment! Please tell me how you do it!! I really want to know!

P.S.-- Kiki was finally able to play in peace, when Debris decided to stomp off and "Build Balcanos wike Mt. St. Helens" elsewhere. All parties lived happily ever after.

Double P.S.--It's almost done Dhasa! I promise! It's pretty cool lookin' too! :-)