I think I might be a hoarder.

A neat hoarder, well neat on the surface hoarder (because if you open those cupboard stuff is going to fall out all over you).

This realisation hit me this morning when I was looking for my marriage certificate and I found my daughters TEE exam timetable. My daughter is now in her final year of nursing. Funnily enough this is also the piece of paper we couldn't find on the morning of her first exam. For the record the blue file in the office- just in case you ever need it again - I didn't throw it out.

I then went into the kitchen to get a lemon and had to sort through the letters to get to them. One was asking me to send my sponsor child in Ethiopia a birthday present for his birthday in May. Last year. Sorry Emmanual. Poor kid is probably still standing at the letter box waiting for the card with the little pictures of koalas and kangaroos. 

I then went to find my shoes, which were lodged under three pairs of ugg boots (from the last three years),5 pairs of running shoes and my cardigan was wedged between a dress that I loved in 2002 and my Year 12 Blazer. From 1988.

My junk drawer has grown from a drawer to 4 cupboards and two drawers. There is so much 'paperwork" in those cupboards that I need to find somewhere else for the plates. Don't even start me on the lack of space for the mugs. There is a lunch order sheet in the drawer from my elder kids primary school. Both of the children are now in University.

I then had an argument with a student who swore on their life that they had handed in an assignment- to which I said " Trust me- if you gave it to me I would have it." Seeing as I have students work in my store room from 2006. 

I blame fashion. They say that if you keep it for long enough it will come back into fashion. I also blame my fear of not being able to find something. Because I can tell you the day will come when I will need the receipt for the contact lenses I bought 2 years ago, and let me tell you,  when I am asked to produce the receipt from that pair of stocking I bought in London

3 years ago- I will know exactly where to go.  And you might never know when you might need the "Welcome to Pre Primary handbook" from your daughters primary school, even though she is now is in Grade 4. And of course I have all the Barney the dinosaur videos. Even though we have not had a video recorder since forever.

I know it might seem like I have a bit of a problem but I think it is not because I like to think of myself as a collector. A collector of bloody everything.  And collecting is a hobby..right?