Chores and Chore Avoidance

Some days, my To Do list seems impossibly huge. Last night, before I tackled some of the tasks, I took the time to sit down and paint a few more ACEO/ATCs but I also set up a space for Kiddo to work across from me thus amusing the child while getting fun stuff done:

(I guess, technically, the ACEOs were on my To Do list, just no where near the top end.) This batch I had drawn while on the ferry last week and I am most pleased with this piece featuring Mister Bones on a swing:

After that was multi-tasking as Kiddo got bathed, I put away laundry, tidied up the bedrooms, and vacuumed. After she was in bed, I started to tackle the mountain of paperwork in the dining area but I ran out of steam pretty quick. Happily, Hubby returned from his workout with a decaf latte for me. :) Alas, the paperwork is still threatening to avalanche, so I have more work to do tonight.

Once the paperwork is filed and/or shredded, I get to do my taxes! Oh joy.

Maintaining Order....

Part of the formula for "finishing projects" in 2007 is reclaiming our time. Part of reclaiming our time is not letting housekeeping get away from us. One of the first things I did off the giant to-do list was to (finally*) make a chore chart. We all chip in and mark down things like taking out the garbage, doing laundry, filing papers, and feeding pets. Some of it is stuff we do every day... some is the stuff that tends to get put off to the point where we end up having to spend an entire day just cleaning.

Kiddo has been very motivated by the chore chart and she now helps by feeding pets (the cat and the sea monkeys), setting the table, and tidying, after which she eagerly marks her initial on the chart.

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*Hubby suggested a chore chart some time ago... but apparently I rejected the idea. Oh well. .... Better late than never?
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Now I am watching one of those shows that boggles the mind when I imagine how they pitched it to network execs: "How Clean Is Your House?" Two British women, Kim and Aggie, who find the scariest, filthiest houses and go in to help the owners clean up and learn some housecleaning tips. Generally, the owners "don't realize" how disgusting their houses are until it is "too late" and then it's hard to care. It is stomach-turning to watch (they found a dead mouse at the back of a drawer in tonight's episode) but pretty good at keeping me vigilant as to the state of our own home.

::shudder::