Our schools around here started on the 7th, so the kids have had six days of school so far. Back home, though, they don’t even start until August 25th! And I think some of my friends up north say they start even later than that. They stay in school for some of June and we are usually out by then.

My daughter is in sixth grade and the ‘top of the school’! That is such a fun year! And it is also the year that the kids start switching classes to get ready for high school. So she has six or seven different teachers. She really likes all of her teachers so far, but, she absolutely loves her homeroom teacher! I do, too – she is the reading teacher – so you know I like her! She is really nice, though – it’s not just that she’s the reading teacher – she is very spunky!

My sons had to read several books this summer for their summer reading, since they are in honors classes. Shawn read “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe and “Watership Down” by Richard Adams. Patrick had to read three books that, for the life of me, I can’t remember. I am pretty sure that two of them had to do with censorship. And one of them was a series of essays. I just looked on the school website, but, I think they’ve taken them off of there since our new school year has started. I’ll have to tell you about his books later.

The trouble here is, that our first ‘event’ for marching band and Sam’s instrument sale are on the same night! Total bummer! And they both start at 6pm – gah! The high school is having their ‘Meet the Players’ night, where they introduce every kid on every sports team in the school and the band plays at this event. So even though it’s not our first game, it is Shawn’s very first ‘event’ with the band. I’m SO not missing it. Mark will have to drop the boys and I off at the high school and go buy the trumpet at the elementary school. And then I bet he’ll have time to come join us for at least some of the event.

I’ll try to get some good pictures to share with you from the event, but, the kids will not be in their full uniforms, so I’m sure the pictures won’t be as exciting for you as they will be for this mushy mama! (I’m sure I’ll be crying! I did last year! LOL!) The kids have blue band shorts and a blue band shirt that they typically wear under their uniforms. For the first few events, according to the weather, they only wear the shorts and t-shirts. I think it’s really cute, though, because, you can see their black gloves. The rest of the year, the gloves blend into the outfits, but, when they just have a t-shirt and black gloves – I think it’s just adorable! (Let me tell you, they all just love my gushing!)

“And you may never find a freak without at least one glove!” [That song just popped into my head! Can anyone tell me what song it is?]

Change the Bread – Or don’t use bread at all. Kids can get bored with sandwiches so why not try the same fillings but make it a little more exciting by changing the bread. You can try pita bread, bagels, tortilla wraps or even crackers or breadsticks.

Make the old standards fun – On the days where you go for the traditional sandwich try cutting the bread with fun shapes using cookie cutters. You can also cut slices of cheese or ham into fun shapes. You’ll be amazed at how a boring cheese sandwich will get gobbled up when shaped into a flower or dinosaur.

Finger Foods – Sometimes kids, especially younger ones, don’t like to eat a whole sandwich or bowl of food. Instead you can try preparing cut up cubes of cheese, grapes, carrot sticks, pretzels, mini crackers, and ham cubes. Place in a container with individual compartments for a fun lunch.

Dip It – Kids love dipping stuff. For an easy and nutritious lunch snack you can cut apple wedges and serve with a strawberry or peanut butter dip or cut up veggies served with a hummus dip or try a cream cheese dip. For a more substantial lunch add pieces of pita bread, breadsticks or crackers.

Lunch Notes – Write cute little notes once in a while to put a smile on your little one’s face. A simple note with a smiley face saying I love you or miss you can instantly make a child feel better. For older children (who will no doubt be embarrassed by smiley faces and cutsie notes) try a riddle or brain teaser instead. I used to send a definition of one new word on a slip of paper every day in my boys’ lunches. It was a cool, and sometimes funny, new way for them to learn a new word.

First of all, we had saved up some money from our tax returns, so that was a big, no – a BIG load off! That really made all of the beginning of the year expenses so much easier to handle!

But the really ingenious thing that he did, was to take them all shopping … one at a time! Just one parent and just one kid – what a great idea! I can’t tell you how confused I get myself trying to shop for all three of them at once … “ok, I got three shirts for you, but, only two for him, but, I got three pairs of pants for her…ad nauseum!” But, of course, you know that story, don’t you?

So he took them one at a time and avoided that whole mess! He took the boys first, and then it came time to take my daughter. My daughter and I discussed it, wondering together, ‘Is Daddy really capable of shopping for clothes for/with a girl?’ I reminded her about the time that he bought her a beautiful Christmas dress on his own, and then we also talked about the two of them shopping for their Daddy/Daughter dinner/dance. And so we decided that it would probably be just fine. And you know what? It was. They got some really cute – yet practical – things. Sammie was so excited and wanted to model all of her clothes for me right away!

I remember that feeling! I loved getting my new school clothes every year! It was an exciting time! And some of our ‘clothes’ back then really helped to make it exciting! For example – anyone else remember Underoos? Oh yeah! It was kind of like we were secret superheroes, because, we had protective underwear, you know? I even found a video of part of one of the old Underoos commercial:

Do you guys remember that? I love it! I think every year at the beginning of the school year, I get all sappy with memories! I drive the kids crazy with my memories. I’m sure they’ll be glad one day, though, that I told them all of this stuff repeatedly – it will help them remember them!

But, I know for sure, if it comes back around to being my chore again to take them school clothes shopping, I will definitely take them one at a time – that just worked too smoothly!

GO READ A BOOK!

“Mom! I’m so hungry!” – That is pretty much the first thing I hear when my kids come barreling through the front door after school! And let me tell you, I’m no June Cleaver – hot, fresh cookies are not coming out of the oven every day!

And really, that’s a good thing, because, I want to guide my children to eat healthier snacks. I don’t want them to come home tired and depleted of nutrients from all the hard studying and playing they’ve been doing – and then just fill them up with sugar!

Of course they would probably love to grab an ice cream sandwich, instead of an apple; a bag of chips over a bag of rice cakes. But, we can entice our children to eat nutritious snacks by making the snacks a little more exciting. Here are a few suggestions:

Freeze bite size chunks of fruit. Watermelon, pineapple and apple slices tossed into a bag and then into the freezer make a refreshing, crunchy snack. The trick is that you want to have something convenient. Have it ready to pop into their mouth.

You can make a variety of kabobs. Adults usually like some meat chunks, with a little onion, green pepper and pineapple on their skewer, then onto the grill. Kids want something different. Marshmallows, cheese, grapes, apple wedges, pineapple, banana slices, pretzels, and slices of rolled up ham or turkey are choice ingredients to stack your kabobs. Have those waiting in the refrigerator when the kids get home and you’ll hear no whines of “There’s nothing to eeeeeeeeeat!”

If you’re totally at a loss for creativity, then use some fun bowls, plates or cups. Serve fresh fruit in a margarita glass. Put Goldfish crackers in a goldfish bowl and use a fish net to scoop out the yummy aquatic crackers. Use a new net, of course… not the one you use for Gill!

Imagine the look on your kids’ faces when they come home to find an ice cream cone stuffed with a special salad just for them: Carrots, celery, apple, walnuts, and raisins! They will climb up on those bar stools so quickly to eat that yummy, fun, and delicious snack!

We’ve all heard that variety is the spice of life – so let’s all get to spicing up snack time!

GO READ A BOOK!

“I can’t believe you forgot to give me your Wednesday folder until this morning! Bring it to me quickly – I don’t want you to miss the bus!”

How smoothly your bedtime routine goes will determine how smoothly your morning goes. It’s important to have routines for bedtime as well as in the morning. The best way to keep track of needed tasks is to use a chart.

If you leave it to your memory, which might not be as sharp as IBM memory, or that of your children, something will slip through the cracks. In this fast paced world we live in, and with children’s developing brains, someone will forget. I don’t know about you, but if something simple at night can make my mornings run smoother, I’m all for it.

There are a couple different options you can use with regard to charts. One method would be to list each item that needs to be completed in a separate line on the chart. You could list tasks such as homework completed, lunch made, backpack packed, clothes picked out, showered, teeth brushed. Whereas the morning chart would be dressed, lunch out of refrigerator, teeth brushed, and dog fed. Each task could get a check mark or a sticker – depending on the age of the children.

Another option would be to list all that needs to be accomplished on a separate piece of paper or chart. Leave that on the refrigerator or some accessible location. Then once the children have completed all their assigned tasks, one gold star, sticker or check mark could be placed on the calendar.

It doesn’t really matter what system you use – as long as it works for your family. You may get some resistance when you introduce it. Or you may be pleasantly surprised and the kids will look forward to not only completing their assignments, but also, seeing the acknowledgment for a job well done.

There may be a transition time necessary for both parents and children. That is to be expected anytime a new routine is introduced. Hold each other accountable. Allow them to remind you if you get “too busy” to follow through with the chart.

Make sure you catch them doing something right. You entire family will benefit from well organized bedtime and morning routines!

GO READ A BOOK!

If you already have a bedtime routine with your kids, pat yourself on the back, because, they can be so hard to establish in the midst of our busy lives. Bedtime routines are so vital, though, especially for young children. Consider adding one more step to your bedtime routine. Give your kids a chance to tell you about their school day.

Make an effort to keep the communication free flowing. If you set good habits while your child is young, it’ll be easier to talk about just anything as the years pass. For starters, don’t ask yes or no questions. You don’t want to establish a nightly Q & A, but rather two-way communication.

Sometimes “tell me about your day” doesn’t generate much conversation. You could begin with, “tell me five things that happened today; recess and lunch don’t count.” That is usually a great ice breaker. Kids learn really quickly that if you don’t ask, they’re not telling.

In addition to asking what was for lunch, ask who your child sat next to. Who did they play with at recess? What did they play during recess? Was anyone sick today? Did anything funny or embarrassing happen to anyone in school today?

If you can get your child to tell you about someone who may have had a hard time (in gym, with math, with reading aloud, etc.) it is a great segue for a life lesson in difficulties and hurt feelings.

It really doesn’t matter what you talk about; it’s more important that you talk. Make talking about your kid’s day a regular part of the bedtime routine, you’ll be surprised what you learn!

GO READ A BOOK!

With each new school year, comes a whole new slew of concerns for all of us weary parents. I will start discussing some of these in the coming days. We definitely have a lot to talk about! For now, let’s all get some good rest!

GO READ A BOOK!