Top Ten Tues: Mommy’s leaving?

Okay, so I’m not leaving for good. I’m leaving for like 72 hours. And, I’m only going about 45 minutes away, but I won’t be home. And, that’s the issue. Well, it’s not really an issue. It’s just a wrinkle. A wrinkle in the routine. If there is one thing the House of Hills loves – it’s routine.

The House of Hills runs pretty well. My husband would say some days it runs like a well oiled machine. Those are the days when I work from home, don’t have three meetings at work and a major deadline. The running well seems to be contingent on my presence. At least it does in MY opinion. (It probably runs just fine when I’m not here, but I like the illusion that I’m the glue that holds it all together.)

So, because I feel like I am the glue, when I go out of town, I am a maniac about making sure everything is ready to run as close to normal as if I were there. Therefore, these things must be done in the next 48 hours.

1. All meals (and I mean breakfast, lunch, and dinner) prepped for both The Sweetie and The Princess and labeled as such – either with a sticky note or in a brown bag in the fridge so they know what’s what. Apparently, I think they can’t make any decisions for themselves. **sigh**

2. Snacks for the Princess for when she comes home prepared and in brown bags and in the fridge so they are obvious for caregivers when they get her off the bus. Again – apparently my mother is not able to fix a snack. It has to be ready for her.

3. All clothes laid out for The Princess with a note about which shoes to wear just in case she might forget that she has PE that day.

4. A note about the morning routine to make sure that nobody misses anything that is ALWAYS done. This one is actually important as she takes medicine that keeps the asthma away, and we don’t want to mess with that. Especially if I’m out of town.

5. List of medicines and when to give them printed (there is already a copy in the “medicine bag”, but we need one handy) and put on the counter in case The Princess encounters any tummy upsets, cough, fever, etc while I’m gone. Yes, I have a cell phone and yes The Sweetie can read labels and yes The Princess knows EXACTLY how much medicine she’s supposed to have. However, still need the list.

6. All the laundry in the house has to be done. ALL of it. Because, what if The Sweetie wants to wear that one thing that I haven’t washed. I would feel SO bad if it wasn’t available to him. Please not that The Princess’s clothes will be laid out, but she may want that other t-shirt and it HAS to be ready for her. I’m closing in on neurotic. I know.

7. A sweet treat will need to be available to sweeten the fact that I’m not there. The Sweetie is loving Cocoa Krispies treats right now. I see a batch of those in my future.

8. Notes to be read at bedtime by The Princess (and maybe My Sweetie) so that she knows I’m thinking of her even when I’m gone. I’ve done this one in the past, and it means SO MUCH to both of them. BOTH their love languages are quality time – meaning they LOVE to be with me. So, when I’m not there, a note helps.

9. Present wrapped, note with directions, and instructions for how to get The Princess to a birthday party on Saturday. I ALWAYS do the birthday parties. So, gotta have all that ready to go.

10. PREP for RETREAT! The whole reason I’m going to be gone – a work retreat. That, I’m running. So, ya, gotta get all that stuff together too. And, I’m cooking for my team. That’s my love language. Cooking for others. There would be some prep work there too. That would be an entire other list.

I’ve got a busy 48 ahead of me. But, I LOVE it. Love the family I’m preparing to leave. Love the team I’m preparing to serve. And I’m SO thankful that my cold seems to be going away. Now, I do need to work on some of the neurotic over-planning tendencies… Nah, then I wouldn’t be me!

What’s on your plate today? Anyone have as crazy (and I do mean crazy as in loony) a list as me?

If you want to see other Top Ten Tuesday lists, head on over to OhAmanda.com. She’s got some good ones up already.