So that’s that. The kids are back at school, we are back working from our separate rooms, the house is a tip and I’m just as disorganised as I always am despite my best attempts.

But you can’t say I’m not trying.

This morning I sat down surrounded by papers to try and sort our life admin out. I booked vaccine appointments (which are hideously early on a Saturday and the kids are not going to be impressed), an osteopathy appointment (which I promptly forgot the date of and had to ring back for), and a hair appointment (where I explained I have thick hair so need a longer appointment and left the receptionist thinking I looked like a lion). I also chased up a dental hospital appointment – I was on hold and at the moment of being put through to a real person I pressed the coffee machine button and had to race out of the room as neither of us could hear a thing.

I tried but couldn’t get through to the regular dentist (who seem to have stopped offering normal appointments at all and never return my calls), and sent enquiries to random singing teachers and a piano tuner. I’ve consented to a name being included on the back of a leavers jumper (dear lord she’s nearly in sixth form), and enquired about trumpet lessons. That’s not bad really.

Having said that I still need to order several pairs of glasses, pay cheques into the bank, continue chasing the dentist, and take a parcel to the post office (it’s sleeting and I can’t be bothered). I don’t know why I save all these things up. I think my new years resolution should have been to do more admin as I go along…

What I’m incredibly bad at is balance. My days off go like this – housework, admin, washing – but I don’t make time for hobbies. That gets pushed to the back in case either a) I am really bad at the hobbies and are left feeling useless or b) I feel guilty that I haven’t done the organisational things that are probably more important. Anyway it’s lunchtime so that’s the next thing to prioritise. I’ll think about my deep inability to focus on anything lovely another time…