How do YOU get ready?

I was reading a scrapbooking magazine, and they had a challenge of trying to capture a different sort of " back to school pictures". Of course I will also be snapping the first day ones, but as I was looking around the kitchen yesterday, it made me think of some of the other ways, we have been getting ready...

** backpacks have been packed ( awhile ago!)

** new lunch bags with names and phone numbers in them

**fun lunch foods (the price for a school lunch here is almost $3!! Yikes. So the kids are brown bagging it this year)

** bags of paper towels, kleenex, soap etc. are waiting to go to teachers

**reading tests have been taken ( a requirement for new kids to the school)

**orientation has been attended

** today we are heading to the commissary ( yes the COMMISSARY) to look at class lists and find out who the kid's teachers will be

**back to school sleep schedule is in full force ( and the kids hate it!

School starts on Monday for Ethan and Harmony. I am not as worried about them starting McCool as I was about Ingleside. I think it is because half the school lives in our housing! Plus every one at church is in the same school. They will know tons of kids.

Connor starts on the 4th. During the week that he is home, the kindergarten teahers come and do a home visit. Plus he said he has plans to "drive Mommy crazy".

I am so glad the kid's "extended summer" is almost done. Time to get back to routines, schedules and learning!