Last week we rounded the corner into another school year, and this one feels significant: 7th grade (junior high!), 5th grade, and kindergarten (!). Everyone had great weeks and I have the sense that each of my kids are in just the right place for them in terms of teachers and academic challenge. That feels great. We now have a kid who takes the bus to and from school every day, and everyone is in (free!) public school. Wow, wow!
I love back to school season. I love the fresh start feeling, I love thinking through our routines; I love getting supplies and signing syllabi. I also love this season for bringing some fresh energy to my work and restarting my work year, which generally goes on hiatus during the summer. For my own back to school supplies, I finally bought myself a blow dryer brush (work related only in that I do think a great hair day makes for a better work day), and picked up a cute folder for my computer bag.
Snacks
Also related to back to school: all the snacks! What easy snacks are you feeding your kids and yourselves lately? Maeve has to take a peanut-free snack every day. Current choices include: cheese crackers, Goldfish, fig bars, and olives (love my olive-loving gal!). When I pick Maeve up from school I have been bringing a mini Perfect Bar to help stave off the hanger that sets in when she transitions home.
A couple snacks I've been loving for myself include Mid-Day Squares and the Trader Joe's Icelandic black cherry yogurt.
Sports + Activities
Our sports schedule has the potential to be nuts so I guess we've really arrived as a family (haha). I really resisted having the kids in many activities when they were younger, but I'm ready to embrace it. I want them to be active, to follow their interests and passions, and to be with other kids (as opposed to connecting with friends through a screen). Connecting those values to the busier mornings and evenings makes them feel worth it.
We'll see what activities stick but at the moment Dash might be involved in up to three sports, since now he can participate in school sports, Cedric will have a sport and an instrument, and Maeve will have swim and Girl Scouts (led by yours truly!). Dash might even have an early morning practice which will be new for us. Hopefully carpooling with other families will become an option and alleviate the need to drive at least Dash to every single thing ourselves, especially being a one-car family.
As we look at the activities landscape ahead, I have the impulse to tighten up any and all routines so that our day-to-day does not feel stressful. This includes which days Chris will go into the office versus work at home, what dinners will look like, and how to keep the rest of the housework on autopilot (laundry, cleaning, etc.) I love a plan so all the listing and spreadsheeting is my jam; but it's staying afloat as things get busier (and the house inevitably gets messier) that's always the challenge. I think Chris and I need to solidify when we'll have home and kid management touch-bases. Doing that always helps us feel grounded and ready to take on another week.
Routines for myself that I'm getting back into include my exercise routine (High Fitness and 3x/week Orange Theory), painting my nails, and completing my Weekly Notes to-do page. I also want to take time each Friday to look at the following week and schedule my tasks.
That's where my mind is right now as we start to see what shape this school year will take.
I know we start school so early so you might still be in summer mode, but chime in if/when you are back to school!
Share this post