No wonder I'm disorganized

I got an email today from Dr. Mercola linking to his article, Learn the Secrets of the Super Organized.

Here is a little recap of HIS seven points and MY reality:

1.Reduce before organizing.
OK, this I'm actually attempting - but there is a huge difference between what ONE person can reduce and what one homeschooling family of 7 can reduce. Like some wise woman on my favorite forums once said (I'm paraphrasing): even if each person reduces to just three pairs of shoes - sneaker, dress, sandal/flip flop - that is still 21 pairs of shoes. Let's not even talk about sports cleats and all other manner of kid stuff!

2.Write it down now, always.
I tried carrying a little pad and pencil around with me everywhere. The baby wrote on and then lost the pad, and then drew a masterpiece on my freshly painted walls while I was trying to teach history.

3. Have one inbox & process.
I don't think Staples carries an inbox big enough to fit my incoming work:
-pair of pants to patch
-baby to nurse
-floor to scrub
-boo boos to kiss
I process everything as it comes in, according a top secret formula I have (intensity of child whining plus time left before dryer buzzes divided by how many nerves I have left)

4. A place for everything.
I have a place for everything, and my children also have a place for everything: a different place.

I put the toys away, and they put them all over the floor. Scattered on several levels of the house is best.

I put the pots away, toddler pulls them out and bangs on them.

I put my keys away, toddler fishes them out of the diaper bag and puts them in the toilet.

I hang the clothes up, children decide to play dress ups with every item they own.

5. Put it away now.
See #4
Plus, "now" the baby wants to nurse, or the kids need talking to, or someone just spilled a gallon of milk on the floor.


6. Clean as you go.
See#5.


7. Develop routines & systems.
I *love* developing routines and systems. Lack of time, however, makes that process take several weeks. By that time, each of my children has entered a new stage of life and the systems no longer work.

So *see*? Getting organized is impossible. Guess I'll just go read my kids a book. ;-)