It’s time. I have to confess. People think I am “so organized.”

I am not.

• I can’t find the checkbook to write the checks for the piano and oboe teachers. (They are among the few who still require checks! I do indeed remember how.)
• I found three things that were meant as Christmas presents for my kids and beloved bearded spouse. That would be for Christmas 2011. (Yes, they will get them this year. I hope.)
• The first floor of the house finally got cleaned, but only because the 3 of us worked on it for several hours today. (I will do just about ANYTHING except clean my house. Well, not exactly true. I will not clean the litter box.)
• The suitcases from our trip to South Carolina (4 weeks ago) and The Johnny’s college move-in (2 weeks ago) are still not put away.
• I just cleaned several mold experiments from the fridge and pantry today. (Never mind what. I didn’t serve it, so that’s a plus.)

I am working on getting back into routines — ones that perhaps will work this time around. Routines which are not so blinking complicated, like, “I will file every paper every time a new one comes in the house, after I have done ten jumping-jacks, combed the cat and written a new villanelle.”

As if.

Some of this motivation is because I want to be a good steward of our many blessings. I don’t like wasting food, or letting “stuff” accumulate, particularly items that we don’t use or don’t really need. When you have too much “stuff”, it seems to migrate from room to room, waiting to be “put away.” Or am I the only one who has this problem?

I’m also trying to include new habits in my routines. This is dangerous. Habits like:

• writing more on my blog
• spending less time goofing off on the computer/iPad/iPhone
• working on a conference paper proposal and two articles
• researching and writing “that book” (see my blog from Friday)
• exercising!!

Here’s to a new school year, new plans, new dreams and new ambitions. God’s help in all things, and honesty when I don’t keep things going the way I want.

Sounds like a plan. (A mom can dream!)