New Year's Day

Traditionally, New Year's Day occurs on January 1.

However, for me, New Year's Day occurs on whatever day all the children go back to school. That's today!

My three children attend two different schools. Although my son began school last Wednesday, today is the real back-to-school day in my book, because my daughters began today. So that means I'm sitting in a quiet, empty house all by myself!

That makes today New Year's Day. The day of renewal. A fresh start. That feeling of optimism, knowing that I will have time to pursue the personal goals and household projects that have been sidelined for the past three months.

Just like calendar-year New Year's resolutions that sometimes are broken by three days into the new year, I realize that some of my academic-year New Year's goals and projects will remain unfulfilled by next June, when the kids are home daily again and life resumes a slower, less organized pace. But right now, all my goals seem achievable in a nine-month timeframe. All my projects appear able to be completed.

Yes, nine months from now, I will be Super Mom and we will all live happily in our Super Organized, Super Clean, Super Decorated, Super Efficient house.

But first, let me take a coffee break...