First Day of School Ideas

I can't believe that the kids are heading back to school in just a couple of short days.  It feels like the summer barely started and now it's over.

While doing some surfing through Pinterest this weekend, I came across some neat First Day of School ideas.

A neat thing to do, especially if this is your child's very first school adventure, take a pic of your child holding a sign with the grade they are going into and the year.  This is a great memory for you and them!  You can look back at the end of the year and see how much they have grown!

Another great idea is to start working on name recognition.  If you haven't already, it's not too late!  There are so many awesome crafts you can do with the kids that will help them learn to recognize their name!  momstown's arts and crafts blog has a great roundup of things you should be teaching your kids!  Their name, phone number, if they have allergies, all important things that will help them when they are away from you!

If your little one is having some separation anxiety, or if you are, send little love notes in their lunch!  This will remind them that you are always with them and always thinking about them.  They will be sure to smile when they open their lunch box and see your little note. 

If your kids can't read yet, no worries!  just putting a big heart, or a hand for a high five will make them smile!  As they learn to recognize some words, you can easily add little notes like "I love You"

Hoping all you moms are ready for school!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

or so says the Staples commercials that play on t.v this time of year!

momstown mamas have been talking about it for weeks. New schools, new teachers, labelling kids stuff, we all knew it was coming.

Back to school is bittersweet this year. Normally I am jumping for joy and over the moon when back to school hits. Summer is a long 9 weeks to entertain the kids and by the end of it I am usually so happy that school has returned.


The return of school means the return of routine. A very welcomed thing in this house right now!! Normal bedtimes, normal meals and a sense of direction for the oldest one.

But this year, it's kind of sad for me. As much as I want the routine to return, back to school this year means my kids are growing.

I know, that's what it means every year, but this year is different. This year I have a teenager going into Grade 8, her final year of elementary school, her final year before she heads into high school where she will make choices about her schooling and where it will take her. How did these 13 years go by so quick?

And then to make this year even harder, my sweet little Noelle is starting Kindergarten. She is starting her academic adventure in the "big school" where she will spend her school days in the care of some other adult who is not me, who will now be a part of molding her into a little educated being.

So while I wait anxiously for Megan to come home from her first day of Grade 8 and give me the run down of who her teacher is, who is in her class, who the new kids are and dare I wait for it, who the cute boys are, I will keep Noelle close to me and cherish the next 2 days until she starts her adventure.

No one said being a mom was easy, but boy, back to school really reminds you that you wear your heart on your sleeve

Back to School

Our Momstown Anniversary Party was a HUGE success on Thursday. We had a an amazing turn out of members, new and old. We gathered at St. Vincent park to celebrate a great year. Food was a plenty ( as usual with our pot lucks), the weather couldnt have been better, the kids were playing and the moms got a great opportunity to catch up, and meet each other.

Now that August is wrapping up, some of us are getting ready to send kids off to school ( some for the first time), its a fun and exciting time and maybe a little bit scary as well.

Im sending my 3yr old off to JK in September, and my 7yr old to Gr 2. I have very mixed emotions about the whole thing.

Im sending my baby off to JK on the bus and off in to the big "school" world. He is super excited about getting on the bus and being with his friends in JK. His back pack is sitting by the front door already, with his new shoes inside. His lunch bag is ready and he keeps talking about what he is going to bring in it.

I on the other hand, keep thinking "is he going to be able to open the containers?" " Will he eat to slow and not finish his lunch/snack on time?", " Will he be ok on the playground?" I have so many questions, and really the answers are unknown. I know from sending my oldest off to school for the first time 4years ago, he will be fine and adapt to school very quickly. But its still makes me nervous.

On another note, Im excited for some "Mommy" time and already have a list of things I need to get done around the house ie: sorting toys, cleaning out closets etc. I will put the kids on the bus in the morning, wave my good byes and get to work................ counting down the hours to when my little boys get off the bus, give me a big hug, and tell me about their day.