Peryl is a mom of 2 boys who writes a blog column for the Seattle P.I. called “Parenting Ad Absurdum.” I met Peryl very early on in my blog career, and am so happy she agreed to write one of her legendary list posts for BBCD. Also? How cool would it be to write a blog for your local newspaper??? You can also find her on Twitter at @momadabsurdum
The Parenting ad Absurdum household has some big changes on the horizon.
No, I’m not pregnant – I’ve recently learned that no woman of child-bearing age can say the words “I have news” without someone immediately buying her a stroller. No, our current evolution involves houses and geographical locations. The change is positive, but inevitably stressful, as evidenced by my recent dreams (e.g. I’m about to get married, and the person giving me a pedicure leaves before putting on the top coat, and this causes me INCREDIBLE AGGRAVATION – this despite the fact that I wore closed-toed shoes for my wedding).
When I am under stress, I tend to relieve tension by incessant list writing. Nothing makes me feel better than a brand new notebook to be dedicated to lists.
Scads of lists.
The fact that my follow-through needs a little game doesn’t take away from the satisfaction I get from writing lists. So when Liz (I want to call her Belle, don’t you want to call her Belle??) honored me (immensely) by asking me to guest post in the middle of my list making frenzy, I decided that of course I must write you all a list.
Since a list of what I need to donate to Goodwill or people I need to email may not excite you as much as it does me, I thought I would share with you some terribly late (cause that’s how I roll) New Year’s resolutions for 2011.
1. Singlehandedly launch a campaign to bring back the sloe gin fizz. Have you had one? You must try it. I guarantee you will want to name your next daughter Juniper.
2. Sign up for twitter, so I can stop getting emails that say “for the love of god, sign up for twitter already” (I love you, Truthful Mommy). By the way, I did this already. In your face, 2011.
3. Make more lists of things I’ve already done. It’s awfully satisfying.
4. Stop developing psychosomatic backaches when anticipating the arrival of family. Also, while I reserve the right to take everything said by relatives the wrong way, I might try to do this just a bit less.
5. Learn how to operate a #$%*@ zipper. I know. As a reasonably coordinated adult and the designated figurer-outer of the family, this is something I should have mastered by, oh, at least the age of thirty-two or so. Do the rest of you know a secret that I somehow missed out on? Maybe it was the home-schooling.
6. Watch more of this guy: Never Give Up. I dare you not to feel disgustingly positive afterward.
7. Get through the hardest level on my Dino hunter game…oh wait, that’s my five year old’s resolution. My three-year old’s is that I buy him the teddy bear I refused to get him the other day in Barnes and Noble. He doesn’t quite get the whole “improving oneself” thing.
Whew. I feel much better. Don’t you just want to run out and buy yourself a fresh notebook?
Thanks for hosting me, Liz, I’m honored to be here!!
I hereby declare my intention to make lists of things I’ve already accomplished.
This is going to get awesome.
p.s. Liz – EVERYBODY wants to call you Belle. It’s a common, overwhelming urge.
Really? I’m so intrigued by this!
I know – doesn’t that feel good??
I know, I long have thought of Peryl’s name, job, life as dreams. Dreams. Dreams.
Wonderful name, wonderful job, wonderful life.
You are a lucky lady.
You are too sweet. It’s funny that I spent fifteen years being annoyed at my parents for naming me Peryl – but I’ve made my peace with it, and now I quite like it!
As a fellow list-maker, I really appreciate the above list. Particularly, the bit about making a list of accomplished tasks. That should offset the five or so unfinished lists I have going right now.
Absolutely – I bet you’ve done at least ten things today already! Write them down and cross them out.
Lists are so fun, functional AND satisfying!
I am salivating over the thought of a blank notebook. Salivating, I tell you.
If you’ve got a Half Price Books in your city – run, don’t walk – because they’ve got a pile of great, super cute eco notebooks – I bought ten!
Ha! It seems like we bloggers love lists and organization.
Oh wow, love that list of things that you’ve done!
Peryl…too funny, you are so right about how everyone immediately thinks a girl is pregnant when they have news
. And so glad you are on Twitter now – now I just have to get back on there more often!
Hi Dalia! I know – I’m like the only person out there without an i-phone, so twitter takes real committment!
With Peryl in Twitter and you back at it, there’s LOADS of fun in store!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Taming Insanity, bellebeandog. bellebeandog said: My Very Late New Year's Resolution ('Cause That's How I Do It!) http://bit.ly/gbow9l Guest Post from @momadabsurdum [...]
I get the feeling your three year old and I have a lot in common. Take THAT 2011!
I agree – you’re both hilarious and extraordinarily charming!
I like lists, though most of my “to do” lists never seem to get completed. By the way, I can’t tie my shoes properly, so that is just as bad as your zipper problem.
Thank you! That actually makes me feel much better.
I’m going to sit down right this second and make a list of things I’ve already accomplished. You’ve inspired me!
Oh good! You deserve to take credit for all the things you HAVE accomplished.
I am all over #3! Great idea.
Fun post!
I just like the idea of making lists of things I’ve already done. I think I like that better than my piles of lists of things I still have to do. Although crossing off an item is awfully satisfying! Great list!
Such an amazing sense of accomplishment, even though it kinda doesn’t count.
How do I not know Peryl because I love her already! Off to check out her blog…
Aw, thanks, Natalie! I suspect I will check out yours as well, I suspect I will love you too.
A list???
I love lists! I love you! WIll you be my new best friend? I wont tell any of my other best friends I promise.
I live for lists! Just ask Liz!
Where are you moving to? Northern California? Could you CHANGE it to Northern California???
….
Good lord, what’s in this coffee?
Ha!! I would love to be your secret new best friend and YES I AM MOVING TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!! Wow, our friendship just moved to a whole new level!
I constantly add things I’ve already done to my lists. Crossing it off just feels too good.
I know, right??
Oooh I love lists. And journals. I just can’t fully embrace this technology age with all those pretty notebooks on the shelves..
Lists on the ‘puter just aren’t the same as on paper. You don’t get the satisfaction of crossing it OFF.
Her name is sooooo bada **, I LOVE IT! Also, I think with a name like that, you have to have a good sense of humor which clearly she does. Thanks for introducing me to her–off to check out her blog now!
Aw thanks!! It took me about 20 years to get used to my name, but I’m good now
.
Also, from one list-maker to another: Thanks for this. It’s amazing the sense of accomplishment I feel when I cross items off.
I love a new notebook. I’m going to get one now.
LOVE this one “Make more lists of things I’ve already done.” I need to do this too
I think Peryl’s started an epidemic…
Why are zippers SO hard? I mean, I’m an educated adult person with reasonably good hand eye coordination, so why on God’s green earth am I incapable of zipping up a sweatshirt? And baby clothes? FORget it.
Yes! Thank you!!
Funny list, Peryl! I am also a list maker – although since I’m somewhat disorganized my lists tend to float around the house on scraps of ripped paper. I love the idea of lists of things I’ve already done – what satisfaction to write a list and cross off each item, all at once! (:
Oh, in addition to the notebooks, I’ve got lists on scraps of paper all over the house too – receipts, gum wrappers…
I love lists! There’s no so rewarding as crossing an item off a list (even if it hasn’t quite been accomplished yet. It’s still satisfying!
I love lists AND new notebooks! I like to get attractive notebooks…then the lists I make in them will be artsier somehow. Especially if they’re lists of things I’ve already done! I so love that!
Perhaps I will adjust the scale of “to dos” tho. I’ll make the list of to dos for the next hour and the list of dones for the last 6 months or so. That will really make me feel better.
I also aim for artsy lists – even though I’m the only one who ever reads them!
Oh, I love Peryl, whom I’ve just recently “met”. Love her style of writing and humor!!
Great list Peryl! I have no idea what sloe gin fizz is but now I feel compelled to google it, thank you very much. And…I’m so happy you’re on twitter, yay!
Oh, Melissa, I love you too…though I’m only just get around to responding, the love has been there all along.
Oh do I love number 3. I get a lot done during the day, some of which makes it onto my daily list right off the bat (I write one every morning over coffee.)
However, inevitably, I end up doing things that come up WHILE I’m addressing my list. (Like rearranging the patio furniture when all I started out doing was scooping dog poop.)
So of course, before my husband gets home, I write everything down I already accomplished and put lines through it.
Then I leave the list in plain view.
The list looks very impressive. Me? Not so much. I rarely put grooming on my list.
But I try not to let him find that out.
I have a hard time staying focused with that, too. I still get things accomplished, but I’ve noticed that I do do a lot of starting and stopping of tasks.
Ha! What is this “grooming” of which you speak?
Not on Twitter?! What the!
I know. I’m very ashamed. And I still don’t have an i-phone (or any reasonable facsimile) so I’m still not much of a twitter-er…
Slow gin fiz! I remember my mom talking about them years ago but have never had one. I love list & a new notebook to make them in makes me happy.
I love that the list begins with an alcoholic beverage – my kind of gal! Loved this.
Twitter does rock! I’ve been enjoying it.
While I am not quite the list enthusiast as some of the other readers I do write one every once in a while. And then I lose it so it does me no good. *sigh*
I am so down with the sloe gin fiz.
I do know how to operate a zipper, but the zipper on my daughter’s coat keeps on getting stuck and more than once i have contemplated just bringing her into school like that (all nonchalantly like I didn’t know) and let them deal with it when she goes to play outside!
Despite the fact that you ARE moving to Northern California and I have to remain in Reno, we can still be friends. Oh you don’t know me? Well I just “met” you too but I’m friendly, promise.
Whenever I start a to do list I always write three things I’ve already accomplished FIRST so that I can cross them off and feel smug.
This list is absofrickin fantastic. Not to mention very funny. Thanks for the intro, Belle!
And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to hit the liquor cabinet and try my first sloe gin fizz.
Well you have mastered Twitter so you are kicking ass!
OMG the psychosomatic backaches. Do you have those too? That is hilarious. Mine also come in stomachache and headache variety as well. Depending on which relative is visiting.
Were you really homeschooled, Peryl? Why didn’t I know that? You know I homeschooled Nino last year, right?
Aweomse list as always. You are forever my hero. I adore you. And now I must find out what is sloe gin fizz.
xoxoxo
What a fun list, but I have to argue with you on the Gin Fizz because anything with gin in it tastes like BandAids. At the same time, I give you mad props for exposing your sub par zipper skills. I am in your humble company. My husband has had to unzip me out of my freakin’ puffy coat more than once.
Oh my God, Peryl. You crack me up!
I’m thinking I need to give sloe gin fizzes a try.