Back To School Basics.

There are 24 days until school starts! 

Not that anyone is counting right?

If I've said it once, I'll say it again, "Where has the summer gone?"

In 24 days, a new transition will start for all us parents, and especially us mothers. Not to mention our children, too. They will shift grades, start kindergarten, or enter preschool for the first time. (All of which is about to happen here in our household.)

If you have more than once child heading off to school, then you know there is a little bit of prep work that needs to be done. For you and your children.

So this month, (August) we're going to focus on Back To School Basics.

I don't know about you, but when I think about back to school basics the first thing that comes to mind is shopping. Pencils, notebooks, folders, binders, backpacks, socks, underwear, pants, shirts, sneakers, and the list goes on.....

Depending on where your child is headed, from preschool to college, preparing to send your child to school can become a stressful time. A "notebook" doesn't carry the same meaning to a five-year-old as it does a twenty-year-old.

Then there is you, yes you, you may not be going back to school, but there is still homework involved.

Stick with me as we address each level of school preparation this month. Not only will you be prepared, but you'll be stress free on that first day of school.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Baby Album

Last week was filled with baby showers around our household.  My son's preschool class decided to have a baby shower for one of the teacher's aids who has been teaching them sign language all year.

Although, Ms. Allison doesn't know what she is having (a boy or girl) in a few weeks, my son insists it is going to be a boy! He wanted to make Ms. Allison something special... so with a little help, he made her a twinkle twinkle litte star baby album.  

After he went through my fabric stash and found this cute twinkle, twinkle little star fabric we set out to make  the baby album covers. Then a day before the shower, with the covers and pages still needing put together, my scaitic nerve in my back decided to protest, leaving me quite frankly - laying on my back.

Yet, my son and I managed to complete the book, and while I rested he made his own wrapping paper from some brown postal paper I keep to wrap books for shipping.  Since tape might tear his beautiful artwork, he found some ribbon in my box and we tied it around his gift.

The photos are taken by my son, so they are not as "picture perfect" as they could be, but I think they are great, taken from a five year old.

My son was so excited to give his gift to Ms. Allison.  It was a surprise, just like her party! 

This morning when I took him into class, the ballons and streamers were still decorating the room. Sadly to say, I had to miss the party to rest my body and help my back to heal, but it was fun hearing all the details from my son as he experienced his first baby shower.

A few days later, we attended another baby shower and as we left his cousin the same age kept saying, "But I didn't see the baby."

Lol.. my son was nice enough to explain - in five year old terminolgy- that the baby was still the mommy's tummy.

Ah... I love creating things with my kids and hearing when they've caught on to something I've taught them. I'm sure in the future my son and I will be working on a lot more projects together.  He's already asking if he can help with a guest book I'm making for a friend. I'll be sure to post the photos soon.

Sock Goblin

Around Halloween it comes as no surprise to see ghost, ghouls, and goblins out and about.

Yesterday, I participated in a fun filled morning with my children at preschool. One of the games we played was "Guess the Goblin". A child would hide under a black sheet and another child would go out of the room, then come back to guess which child was the goblin hiding under the sheet. This went on for a good hour, filled with laughs and guesses, until all the children had taken a turn.

Coming home, my little goblins and I went about doing our afternoon chore - the laundry. Sometime in the midst of when my children's socks were on their feet to the time they went through the laundry, a few were missing.

So, we blamed it on the Sock Goblin.

Who knows, maybe you have a Sock Goblin in your house too. How else can we explain why at the end of doing the household laundry that socks are left without matches? My preschooler has decided that the Sock Goblin eats socks, while my other children feel the Goblin simply wears the socks and we get missing socks when the Goblin needs a new outfit.

Whatever the explanation, all I know is I've got a growing accumulations of mismatched socks. So, why doesn't the Sock Goblin take them instead of those which already have a mate?

Good question. One I'm sure my children would be happy to elaborate on during dinner when we often have discussion such as this. I'm sure, they will have a good explaination for it when I ask them tonight.

What kind of Goblins do you have in your house this Halloween?