Hi guys! You already know it’s August. For me that’s the month of preparation because school is right around the corner. This year, it’s going to be a hectic trek because S. and I are actually away for some of our usual prep month. That makes things a bit more difficult, but we are a family that rises to the occasion during challenges. So, what’s on the prep agenda this month?
1. School Supplies. Woohoo! We are actually ahead of the power curve on this one thanks to Bug’s birth father, DL. Bug’s school posts its students’ back to school list on its website according to grade level. His dad purchased all the items on the list leaving us the onesie/twosie preference things. Example, Bug is HORRIBLE on backpacks. No, he really is. We go through 2-3 a school year. This year, we’ll purchase a more ruggedized one and see how he does with it. I also want to purchase a divider notebook similar to the Trapper Keepers of old to help him get organized. Hopefully, it works.
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| Thinking about this backpack for the upcoming season. It’s supposed to be more durable. Let’s see. |
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| Looking at this notebook. There are plenty of great reviews about it. |
2. School Clothes. One of the fun (and sometimes dangerous with a pre-teen) activities of back to school is the clothes shopping. Bug grew quite a bit this summer, so he has already some new clothes, but I wanted to round him out with some a couple of pair of new jeans, dress slacks, underwear, and socks. I also would like to get him at least 2-3 new shirts. I have no problem visiting thrift stores or shopping online for a good deal, so this should be fun.
3. The BJ’s run. Depending on your state location, you’re either hightailing it to Costco, Sam’s, or BJ’s. In my case, I’m RUNNING to BJ’s. I like the selection. I find the variety higher than some of the local competitors, and the prices are often better. This run, like its previous, will be a two birds, one stone item since we will be hosting our annual Summer Bash and Baby A.’s birthday party. We’re grabbing large freezer storage bags (for the make ahead meal items) and bulk condiments for the party. We’re also grabbing some bulk hamburger and shrimp options because we want there to be a lot of options.
We got off to a great start this weekend when I did this…
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| I did the breakfast meals! |
There are 30 pancakes and 12 ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sliders in the picture above. Before the week is out, there will be crockpot chicken, lasagna, mini meat loaves, meatball subs, and baked macaroni and cheeses added to the deep freezer. This should give us a good starting point for back to school meals and for vacation plans as well.
4. The paperwork update. Our school system is awesome. The school system has an app that is preloaded with all of the 2018-19 paperwork the students will need to update or verify for the season. You know the stuff. Emergency contact forms, Health insurance, Athlete forms, Code of Conduct, Permission to Use Electronics, etc. Usually, on the first day of school, your kids come home with tons of paperwork and a tight deadline for returning things (Bug couldn’t get his locker or combination without the signatures.) This year, everything is ALREADY signed. The evening of the first day of school will actually be spent going over the day and NOT signing paperwork. Awesome sauce!
5. Schedule adjustments. We’ve been pretty good about keeping the kids on a schedule pretty close to the school year. S. and I discussed adding 30 minutes to Bug’s bedtime scheduling as he is getting older. Instead of the standard 8:30 lights out that the kids have been on, Bug will be in bed by 9 on weeknights and Sunday and 9:30 NLT 10 on Friday and Saturday nights. The girls are still going down at regular times. We’ll see how it works, but fingers crossed.
Have a great week!
-K
