The Final Countdown

Sadly for all of you fellow children of the 80’s I’m not talking about the song by the group Europe.

My final countdown is for our children going back to school.    

For the most part we’ve had a pretty okay summer.  The weather has been horrible which has created some challenges and some crabby moods, but we are doing our best to make the most of it.  In the next week or so we are going to squeeze all we can out of the summer days that Mother Nature gives us!  Because…..

In just 10 glorious days two out of our three children will be heading back to school.  Big T will be entering 2^nd Grade and Sweet Pea will be starting Pre-K…which means its time for all of our Back-To-School traditions. 

Truth be told, shipping the kids back to school planning for Back-To-School is really one of my favorite things about this time of year.  Maybe it’s because I remember my mom making it so special for my brother and I and I want to pass that feeling onto my children, or it might just be that I love traditions of any kind.  Either way we have a lot of fun!

The first of our Back To School traditions is of course the clothes shopping.  I take each of the kids out one by one to do our shopping and then we go out to lunch or dinner afterwards, just the two of us.  The conversation is usually about school.  What they are excited about, what they might be a little nervous about, and what they think they may learn this year. 

Both of the boys schools have an open house the day before school starts.  For Big T, it’s a chance to meet his teacher (take pictures) and find his room (take more pictures), re-connect with old friends and have ice cream (take even more pictures).  It’s a ton of fun!  For Sweet Pea, since it is a preschool he basically already knows the teachers but he gets to see his new room (take pictures), and this year…this year his room will have frogs, and turtles, and a snake in it (take more pictures).  To which my son says ‘this is just way cool mom.” (take picture of the biggest grin you’ve seen all year)

When the big day comes, that is when my favorite traditions start.

My husband takes the morning off and we both go into the boys room to say good morning and help them get up for the day.  We take the clothes out of the closet that were picked the night before and lay them on the bed.

Then I start making breakfast.  The boys get whatever breakfast they want for the first day of school which is always…always pancakes, some bacon and a small bowl of blueberries. 

Then my little boys come downstairs looking so grown up…even more so than the previous years and my eyes well with tears.  They don’t see them because, hello? there are pancakes on the table.  Nothing gets in the way of my boys and their Back To School Pancake Breakfast.  And that’s how it should be. 

After breakfast I get to do the proud mommy, I want to capture this moment forever thing.  I get to take pictures of my kids in their brand new clothes by themselves, in their brand new clothes with their backpack on, in their brand new clothes, backpack on, and holding their lunchbox.  I take pictures inside, and (if it isn’t raining) outside.  Then I take a picture of each of them with their daddy.  Then I get my picture taken with them individually.  Then they get pictures taken with each other.

After the boys are completely annoyed with getting their picture taken, it’s time to take them to school and for some reason they are ready, willing, and able to get the heck out of the house and away from the camera.  Go figure!

After the kids have been kissed, hugged, told that they will forever be loved and are where they should be, my husband and I usually go get a coffee together and talk about how our boys have grown up right before our eyes so quickly, and how blessed we are to be their parents.

Later that evening when everyone is home, we make their favorite meal for dinner and talk about the day.  It’s so fun to see them so excited for the start of a new year!  Mommy and Daddy breathe a sigh of relief.  It’s going to be a great year!

Are you as excited about Back To School as I am?  What are your Back To School traditions?