I hear you Christine!! My babies, 11 and 14 (yes, they are not babies) will be starting middle school and the other high school Sept. 1st.  I never look forward to it- 1) I HATE getting up early 2) I like summers when I can stay up late and sleep in until 8 or 9. 3)  I HATE getting up early.  4)  It is another year closer to my babies being grown and leaving home. 5) I HATE getting up early.  6)  Too many late nights helping the girls with homework. 7) I HATE getting up early. 8)  I hate the morning rush routine....wake up, make sure the girls are fed, wearing decent clothes, have their homework, have their lunches. 9)  I HATE getting up early. 10)  I am not a morning person and hate getting up early.

I, too, will be trying to get as much prepped the night before for their lunches, homework in backpacks, making sure older dd has her laptop charging, looking over the calendar to make sure I haven't forgotten dates of school stuff....looking at parent portal to make sure homework has been turned in....ect, ect....

The girls will be gone this weekend but the hubs and I will go out of town back-to-school shopping this weekend since open house is next week for both girls and they can drop of their supplies in their lockers.

Not much time left here before the dreaded, hectic school years begins once again.

Lisa, you're funny! 

We homeschooled our kids, so I can't quite relate to packing lunches - and snacks - every morning.  Sounds like you'll need a really good plan for that, Christine. 

Hope all the kiddos have a wonderful school year!

Susan....you are lucky you can't relate to the packing lunches/snacks every day-it can be a real drag. At least, this year, the first in 7 years, I don't have to worry about packing a snack as younger dd will be in middle school-no snack time but I do have both girls stash a box of granola bars in their lockers in case they are real hungry. Older dd is the type who literally gets sick is she gets too hungry.

Our kids pack their own lunches, so for me the challenge is making sure I have all needed lunch items available and easy to find.  If they open the fridge and don't see it, they don't pack it.  So, this weekend, I will be grocery shopping and organizing the fridge and cupboards and pantry.  A few necessary things to do - open one end of a gogurt box and place in freezer on shelf; cut up apples and place in tupperware container with some lemon juice; make sure bread drawer is full; make sure sandwich fixins are ready.  In about a week, I'll surprise them and make their lunches (in order to remind them that there is more than one food group). May the transition back to school be a blessed time for everyone!

Susan, we homeschooled one last year, so I only had 1 in school full time.  This year, I have 3!   It will be different that is for sure!  I had a good cry about it last night. 

And Lisa, I am totally with you!  I am not a morning person either.. 

School has been in session here since Aug 9 so we're deep into our routine at this point. :)

I've become a morning person over the last couple of months because I'm getting up at 5-5:30 am to workout.  If I don't do that, I find I don't get it in consistently which is why my weight has crept up and up of late.  I'm finding that as long as I can get to bed early enough, it really helps me kick off my day!  I still rush, rush though because I am a morning lunch packer and my dd beats to her own drummer, which means we're always pushing her to get ready. :) 

I've been out of the routine of meal planning lately so once I get back to that - this week/weekend - it will help the chaos a bit.

I actually love back to school time.  That means the hot, humid weather will soon come to an end. :D  I also like it for the "newness" it brings - new teachers, new clothes, new school supplies, new friends, new adventures!  I've always loved it - when I was the one going back to school and now that it's my dd.  I do agree, though, that it's bittersweet because it does mean our precious babies are growing up.

Wow Becky....you guys sure start early. Of course, we used to until they tried enacting that schools could not start until after Labor Day- that lasted a few years until Labor Day was later and later each year. Kids here start next Wed. and then have the following Monday off already.

I really wish I could have your enthusiam about the new-ness of teachers and the school year but I have become a bitter shrew and worry-wart.....older dd is special ed and the district has never lived up to her potential or really tried in working a way to help dd along better. After fighting long and hard year after year and gotten virtually nowhere....seeing her off to high school is scary as hell because HS does not have many options in the way of true "help".

Sorry....anyway, I hope you all are settling in comfortably with the new school year!

I survived!  I was a bit teary on the drive to school (which is only 3 miles LOL) but hubby went with me and once we got there we were so busy getting all 3 situated into their classes that I didn't have time to be sad.  Then we went to chapel with them (It's a small private Christian school) and then we came home and went for a 2 mile walk and visited an elderly neighbor, and after that it was time to go pick them up again!  (they only went 3 hours today)  Tomorrow we head in full force!

Lisa,

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I can only imagine  how difficult that must be for you year after year  Fighting for what's right for our kids can be a tough battle!   

Hang in there!

Christine....I hear you on being teary-eyed, I was like that the first day of preschool for both dd's.....when kindegarden came I was a bit better but still sad the first week.

Becky....it is difficult year after year. I filed 3 state complaints but only won once-not that that was surprising. This district is great at re-writing scripts and spewing their versions of the "truth" in situations. I could go on and on but won't. Then though, I have another dd who is on the G/T spectrum but also has other issues....OCD, anxiety, bi-polar, ect, ect....including at times violent tendancies-last school year the guidance counselor called the police and I had to go pick her up. The district has refused to place her on any formal plan to help.....anyway, there is much more but I won't bore you......but, this is why I am never enthused for a new school year.