numbering list in W2007

The article did not seem to address my problem.
I am creating a long documents listing Items with a fair amount of description (at times few paragraphs) But I'm trying to get the next logical number for each new item. Sometimes it's smooth but all the sudden it creates havocs!
At the end of each description I like to have a line so hit 'return' and a few dashes to create it. Usually it works ok. Sometimes I get a double line …And do 'summersaults' to fix it.
But it's nothing comparing to what i have to do to fix the numbering when it plays up.
When i click in front of the items with no number or the wrong one. Sometimes I only see "numbering" in the popup list, Sometimes there is lot more. "continue Numbering", "Set Numbering value", "Restart at (x number)". But this seldom seems to gives me the same result?
I also get strange results sometimes when I reset a number. It may accept it or it changes it or shows me a preview with a rows of same letters?
I usually get around but with no idea of how what I did fixed it. And obviously it is very time consuming...
My understanding is, having started a numbering, every times I hit Enter I should increase the numbering by one. So I try to enter soft 'return' (Shift Enter) . But this does not seem to always work!
I guess you can already tell I'm not very 'savvy' and I do have difficulty to follow some tutorials. But I hope to get some help on this !
NB: I have already done all this on your left window but there is no submit button? So redone it on your Right panel???