Friday, August 15, 2008

It's That Time of Year



I LOVE THIS COMMERCIAL!!! I know it's old, I remember my mom laughing every time it came on, and me, not getting the joke! Yesterday we saw our first back to school commercials. What a wonderful time of year it really is. I love the smell of a brand new box of crayola crayons! New school supplies, new classrooms, new friends and new wake up times. I have to say the J.C. Penny, Mervyns and Khols advertisements made me homesick for life in the states. Sniff, sniff.

Instead we will be HOMESCHOOLING. Yep, that's what I wrote, homeschooling.

The private school the boys attended, well, let's just say, it was costly and not worth the price. They wouldn't be able to make it in the states if they attended there one more year. I'm quite overwhelmed to think about teaching the three oldest, especially my sweet Paige. I love her, but if she doesn't want to do something, other than me tying her arms and legs to mine and making her do it, she won't do it. {Which by the way, works!} I remember one day quite a few years ago, talking loudly to her {screaming actually, but I won't mention that here!} "You are 4 and I am 30! You will not win!!!" as we were in a head to head, I'm more stubborn than you stand off. So as far as the idea of a sweet mother lovingly teaching her youngsters at home, Paige has me shaking in my flip-flops.

The program we are using is the one everyone here uses. Calvert. Then we will look into putting the three oldest into a local private school part time. {at about $80 a month per munchkin, you can't beat it!} So as you get your little ones prepared for their newest adventure in life, pray for me. :)

Do you have a back to school tip or tradition that you can share with the rest of us? Since I only have 5 readers, if you could all 5 comment, that would be great. :) Think how much more efficient we could be with 5 more tips to get our wee ones out the door. Oh, and MaryAnn. Good luck with seminary this year. {hee! hee!}

Here's mine

The night before we make the lunches including the sandwiches. I don't put any condiments or lettuce on it if it's a meat sandwich. If it's PB&J I put a thin layer of peanut butter on both pieces of bread. That way it keeps the jelly from making the bread soggy. I pop the sandwiches in the freezer the night before. In the morning all we do is pop the sandwiches into the lunches and they are off. Extra bonus: the cold sandwiches keep the rest of the lunch cool.

Happy back to school!!!!

I had to post a picture.

9 comments:

Kristen said...

I love the PB&J tip...who knew:) I'm using that one for sure...

I think you will be great at home schooling your kids. By the way, I totally remember that commercial! So funny!!

K, so a tip from me hmmmm I think I'm the one that needs all the tips! Can't wait to hear them.

Lara said...

I'm tipless, too. Except for the father's blessing for everyone on the night before. That's a good one. I don't have anything practical or fun, though. Oh, I did buy these cute pre-made notes that I would put in Ethan's lunchbox last year.

Melissa said...

I found your blog through my sister, Kristen, and I have to say that I'm so loving reading about your adventure! I would love to do something like that but I think I'm too much of a whimp so I'll just live vicariously through your posts. I like the sandwhich tip. I live in Arizona and it is hot as **** ( I won't say it) and that is a great way to keep a cool fresh lunch. I also like the jelly tip because I hate soggy bread.
I can't think of a tip right now, but for a tradition my husband always gives all the kids a blessing the day before school starts. Even the little ones. My dad did that for my brother and sisters and I growing up. It was always something I looked forward to even though I wouldn't admit it as a teenager. Good luck with the homeschooling. You are brave. I wish I could do it because the school my kids go to is less than great, but I know I would do a horrible job.

Autumn said...

Shawna, I just saw your post and was excited to hear from you. COSTA RICA WOW! My little Dylan just started K and that was the hardest day for me. I was thinking about homeschooling after I left him there in tears:(
My tip would be something I did when I was a kids and now Dylan does it. We would lay all our clothes out on the floor the night before school so it would look like a ghost. Fun and not so crazy in the morning trying to find that missing shoes or sock. And mom can check if everyhting matches:)

Cristy said...

Woo, hoo, good luck with the homeschooling! I know you'll be awesome. :) Hmmmm, a tip on back to school??? You'd think with 4 in school and my last one there in 2 more years I'd be full of 'em, lol. ;) We make lunches in the mornings and since my kids catch the bus in shifts, the older two are on their own now and the younger two find lots of prepackaged items in the basement. Thank goodness for buying in bulk, heehee. In know you aren't able to do that right now...how about buying boxes of snacks (i.e., crackers) and then prepacking them in ziplocks and then let the kids pick which they want to add to their lunch. They can make it sort of like their own little "shopping" trip for snacks. I prepacked kid sized portions of snacks when my older few were little.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking you have waaay more than only five readers...

Anyway, For the Back to School tip... Pretty generic for me. Fathers Blessing and I usually snap a picture in the morning.

You're brave for taking on home schooling. You'll do great though. I'll be rooting for you. Go Shawna!

O and Katie loved the PB&J tip. (She makes her own lunches.)

Anonymous said...

Hey Shawna,
We miss you. Good luck with the home schooling! I know Grandma would always take a picture of us on the first day of school. We still do jajajja. Teri will be starting her masters program soon and it was funny bc she said, "we have to take a picture!" It made me laugh. Give big kisses to everyone.

Anonymous said...

Aw- I can't believe how cute the boys look. You know Dallin and Trever are growing up so fast.

Tica Macha said...

When I was helping to raise a 4year old (for 5 years), I used the merit system. When she did not mind me or was acting naughty, I put a mark on the fridge. If she did something good (like listening to me), I'd erase a mark. If by the end of the week, there were no marks, we would go to King Richards (an amusement park for kids).
That turned things around with her and I had to change my merit system. She had done so many "good deads" that I marked those instead, taking off a mark if she misbehaved. At the end of the week, she had so many marks of "good works", it insured her she would visit her favorite place.
Smart little girl, she taught me a lot. Teri