Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Oh, it's been a crazy time. Lots of changes in the works.

I've spent the past week buying notebooks, covering copybooks and workbooks in contact paper - I've found that the secret to doing this is to get my older kids to do it for the younger! - procuring the necessary scissors/glue sticks/ 4 pack of chisel point dry erase markers. I've labeled and labeled, convinced two little girls that if they switched book bags with each other it was just like getting a new one (without having to buy them), and realizing that I didn't get the summer reading journals done for a couple of my kids.

Oh, they read the books. We just never did the paperwork. Whoops. Kind of an important part.

My oldest started his college courses this week AND obtained employment. LEGAL employment - doing something that he likes. He can't decide if he wants to continue to train Ji-Jitsu.

Allegra used the money that she's been saving all summer long - babysitting as much as 50 hours a week - and bought a new-to-her-car. A 2001 Honda Accord. She's missed a full month of Muay Thai thanks to MONO and hates it.

Mackenzie decided that, because her soccer team wasn't allowed to have on on the team - she's the oldest and has to move up - she'd break with TEN YEARS of 4 times a week soccer and QUIT. I almost can't quite believe it. No soccer for her at all, although she will continue with cross country and would love, oddly enough, to take ballet again after a 5 year hiatus. Whatever will I do on Saturdays and Sundays?

Take RILEY to soccer. Oh, yeah.

And she and Emma want to take Irish Dance. Or maybe ballet. And Emma wants to drop Muay Thai, except on the days that she doesn't, and Gabriel wants to start Ji-Jitsu.

Monday is back to school. I feel like that should be in bold and in CAPITAL LETTERS. 

Bring it, baby.

We've met the teachers. We've bought the supplies. We bought a case of Horizon organic milk boxes and one of juice. We bought new Contigo no spill bottles for the lunch boxes. We've checked the uniforms. One long, grueling, tear inducing afternoon we bought 8 pairs of shoes. (I may or may not have been the one to cry.) Covered books are back in the desks, pencils are sharpened, lunch tickets packed for the first day.

And I realized, today, that I never had the clinic forms filled out. Those forms that I receive from the clinic, drop at the pediatrician's office the first week of summer vacay, and pick up the first week of August. Those forms that give other people the right to treat my food allergic kid, my migraine sufferers, and my asthmatics. THOSE very important forms were in my closet as of this morning, patiently awaiting their turn. And I have yet to fill the necessary 3 sets of epi pens, haven't filled the albuterol, have no motrin in the house.

It's little details like that that may send me to the funny farm. Oh, and today was my favorite pediatrician's last day - she's followed my girls for 15 years and she's leaving the practice.

Changes. Not just for diapers.

Comments

[kyooty]

wow! that's a lot of changes. I still need to get out and buy 3 more pairs of shoes. All the indoor sneakers, ugh! I picked up dictionaries and French/English yesterday while at the doctors office getting guess? Allergy sprays! 2/3 are now allergy spray boys for environmental allergies. One almost got an inhaler and now we have to see an allergist coming this fall. When did it get so complicated.
Congrats to your oldest on getting himself a job! that's fabulous!! I'm sure it will help his grocery and books budget immensely.
So you put contact paper over the notebook covers? so those paper what we call Duotangs are then covered in plastic?

[amie]

Oh dear- I would be exhauste by reading this except I am on a boatload of prednisone right now. Mine went back half days this week .While half days are a nightmare on the adult end ,it was a great transition for the kids. Wow on two teens with cars! Does this mean potential helpers with errands and carpooling little ones? You mean no more fall Saturdays watching 4 consecutive soccer games? Our fall sports & dance classes do not start for another week so we still have a little bliss left. Whatever will you do on Saturdays ? Hope everyone has a fantastic teacher this year & fabulous first day , including you!

[Paige]

Ugh. You make my back to school crap sound easier, if that's possible. At least I don't have to deal with the epi pens and food allergy forms. But the disclosure documents, I'm knee deep in them right now.

[Megan]

Wait a second. How does your 15-year-old daughter, who I'm assuming won't have a driver's license for a year, have a nicer car than I do?

I think it's time for a career change. Anyone in the neighborhood need a babysitter after she's back in school?

Way to go on the backpack switching! That is smart, but I'm amazed it worked.

[Headless Mom]

Shit. You just reminded me that I need to get another inhaler and paperwork signed so he can actually take it at school. And I'm already a month in. Sheesh.

[Melissa - Shrinking Jeans]

That's how I've been feeling... my tribe started back yesterday and I felt pretty proud of myself for pulling it all together. That is, until I picked the twins up this afternoon and we were talking and one of them mentioned the other one borrowing some girl's markers. I asked why the heck he would have to borrow her markers and they replied, "Because you didn't buy us any." D'oh.

[Elizabeth]

oh my. Mine has been in Kindergarten for 1 week as of today. There was a different Pick Up plan EVERY afternoon the first 3 days for walkers, which my son is. Oy! The most recent system seems to be the one the school is sticking with (for now).

Thankfully all our forms were filled out back in April with Kindergarten Round Up.

Auntie took Kiddo back to school shopping one afternoon while babysitting (I was at the dentist) so all I had to do was write her a check. I'm thinking about making that a permanent plan (not the dentist part). Except for the stupid notebooks. Those took 7 different stores and a teacher supply store to find.

[Melissa]

I would like to know where you found the 4 pack of chisel point dry erase markers????? I looked but not too hard) for them and concluded they really didn't exist. Nice to see that our school wasn't the only one asking for those.

[Heather-Domestic Extraordinaire]

You can do this!!

[Katherine]

TOO FUNNY.... I just picked up the clinic form from my pediatrician TODAY. And don't have the "new packaging" meds yet - Yup I am SO on the ball. (cough cough)

[UKCraftySal]

I feel exhausted just reading this! So many changes,so much shopping (so many $$!), HOW MANY pairs of shoes??!!. Brilliant backpack solution, clever you! And wow Nik and Allegra: life is really moving on for you both.

It makes me feel guilty for stressing at all about our life changes: my 2 kids go back to school on September 7th (didn't finish for the summer until July 23rd, though). My daughter is going into her penultimate year at school (she's just 14, and young for her year; kids leave school at 16 here in the UK). All her paper stationery is provided by school at no cost (other than the normal taxes we pay!), though we have shopped for new PE kit (nightmare for a curvy girl who detests PE)and uniform.

My almost-17 year-old son will start at Sixth Form College, doing a 2-year photography course. All he needs is a sketchbook, pens and a gluestick (although we do have a small studio fee to pay as well). He's trying to persuade us he needs a new camera too, but we are resisting as the college says he doesn't!!! If he wants one so much he can work for it!!!

Good luck to all the kids and parents. In a few weeks this will all be a distant memory!

[Angela]

I did the paperwork with Dr. H last month and gathered up the medicine last night. Felt very proud of myself...then remembered I had NO paperwork and NO medicine for aftercare. OOPS!

[Christal]

My baby is 26 and out of school. BUT I am missing going "back to school" again (for me) because this fall is a "sit it out" semester. Too much to do with finishing the "new" house and unpacking all the boxes of stuff from the old house.

Do you know how many boxes you can put "TTGT" when you're packing in a hurry? (Thats "things to go through") So many that it will take from July to December to get through them at night after work and all those weekends. :-)