OCD confessional

(scanned the note just now...added since posted!)

As you may or may not know I have been self-diagnosed with mild OCD. Over the years there have been several things that I obsessed over and subsequently had a compulsion to do something about it. Confessional time: in high school I was always worried that I forgot to lock my locker. I would ask to go to the bathroom to leave class just to check my locker and make sure it was locked. I have to get ready in the same order everyday. I sometimes worry that I forgot to turn of the iron/curling iron and once I had a blow dryer crap out on me and when I got to work I couldn't remember if I unplugged it. So, what did I do? I drove home on my lunch break just to check. I alphabetize and categorize CDs and DVDs. I hate when I find typos in anything. My dishes have to be put away just a certain way. I could go on and on, but I won't. I am a firm believer that this trait is inherent in my genes. Almost everyone in my family has inherited some of this from our father who in turn got it from his mother. Thanks a lot Grandma! :) My dad is a list maker. He is always worried that he will forget something so he makes lists and notes to himself and usually you can find them attached to his dresser. I like lists too. They are such a neat and orderly way to plan your day. (Okay now I am getting a little too revealing about my crazy!)

All this being said, you would never guess that Adrian was not my biological son when you hear him worry about things that are so far in the future it is ridiculous. (i.e.: "I hope I am still choosing the right when I am 16 so I can baptize Jonathan" among other things!) So last night when he started worrying that he would forget that he wanted to do his chores first thing after he got home from school and he wanted me to remind him. And then he started to tell me everything he wanted to do and in what order, etc. I stopped him and said if he wanted to remember why not write himself a note. This is the note stuck to his bedroom door:

after School

list.

take out garbage.

clean room.

read

reading log

cubscouts

diner

get redy for

bed

if time read for

fun

go to bed

Is that not the cutest thing? Now I don't have to remind him and I get to have a little chuckle to myself about his spelling/grammar and what he wants to do (like "read for fun!") Although we are still having some major issues with getting school work done I am happy to report that within the last month or so Adrian has started to choose to "read for fun" and it warms my heart. I have had a love for reading as long as I can remember and I am so glad he has finally found that interest. When most kids' teachers think they should watch less TV and read more I once had a teacher who told me to read less and watch more TV. Can you believe that? Anyways, if only my children will love reading as much as I did and do I will be happy. And as for the notes: for now I will encourage this so that it makes my life easier. And maybe it will lighten his burden of worries if it is written down somewhere.