And so the SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS

The dreaded day for most children across Warren County has arrived. It's the FIRST day of school!  No more staying up late.  No more sleeping in late.  No more carefree afternoons. No more staying in the same clothes for multiple days.  People always ask, "are you ready for the kids to start school?"  My answer is and always will be NO.  Routine is nice.  And, I like knowing the kids are with friends and learning new things, but what I don't like, is the fast and furious way time moves during the school year.  It seems like once it starts, we literally hit the ground running.  We have homework, schedules, sports, programs, fund raisers, school events, etc.  It's exhausting keeping up with it all.  I also feel a little more manic about clean hands, bath times and general cleanliness.  I know I sound like I'm complaining because I AM.  I just like the relaxed state of summer and am never quite ready for it to end.  I want my kids to stay little and naive and STOP.GROWING.UP!

Here is my precious 1st grader Miles and his new teacher Ms. Ferry.

Here is my creative 3rd grader Isaac and his new teacher Ms. Victery

Here is my disciplined 5th grader Karson and her teacher Ms. Strode.  Karson has had a relationship with Ms. Strode over the last two years.  Ms. Strode coaches the Academic Team for Plano.  I know she'll have lots of expectations from Karson and is very familiar with her abilities as a student. 

Up and ready to go, bright and early.  I decided to pack our car the night before.  I had an arsenal of supplies to deliver to Plano this morning.  Although I'm never quite ready for school, something about school supply shopping is enjoyable for me.  Most things cost less than $1, maybe that's why?  I was talking to a friend who told me she'd heard most parents spent around $600 per child on school things. 

Families with school-age children will spend an average of $634.78 on apparel, shoes, supplies and electronics, down from $688.62 in 2012, according to the National Retail Federation's 2013 Back-to-School Survey. Total back-to-school spending will reach $26.7 billion; back-to-school and back-to-college spending will reach $72.5 billion combined.

(from goerie.com)

 I don't think I spend quite that much but our bank account is pretty depleted after the first of school.  I think I average around $150 per child starting out with lunch accounts and supplies.  

Thanks goodness the Duck, Duck Goose sale is around the corner so I can start building the kids winter wardrobes. I'm a frugal shopper when it comes to clothes.  I buy used when I can.  I imagine the spending will become more increased as they begin those Jr. High/High School years.  Eeeeek!

I'm incredibly excited that Isaac and our neighbor Mia are in the same class this year for the first time.  What's even more bizarre is that her sister Laila is in Miles's class too!  Hooray, it's nice having buddies (especially next door neighbor buddies) in our class.

I was kind of shocked that Isaac was the only child who had an assignment after open house.  It seems like every year teachers ask the kids to come up with an "about me" bag, poster, box, etc.  Usually we just throw something together quickly for all three kids.  But since it was only Isaac, and his assignment involved a BOX, and he usually uses all of our SHOE boxes for miscellaneous projects, and the only box I had was an empty cereal box in our recycle bin, I figured (based on its shape) why not get crafty and turn it into an iPod? An iPod pretty much sums Isaac up.  The boy has had his own You Tube channel since age 7, check out his You Tube Channel, carries that iPod everywhere, texts, face times, emails, records, takes pics., you name it.  Really all he needed to take today was the box, but he filled it with "me" things like a Captain Underpants book, trash packs, a book he wrote, a picture of his family, a bag of Cheese-Its, and whatever other trinkets he decided to put in it.

I'm anxiously awaiting my kids return from school and know there will be lot of stories to tell.  We're looking for to the 2013-2014 school year!