
Oh my gosh, it was only July 25 and what appeared in our mailbox but Camryn's 8th grade summer teacher letters/supply list. Could it really be almost a month until another school year starts?! What on earth .... who's ready?!
I don't want to wish summer away but after our crazy schedule last week...
B - open gym from 8:30 - 11 Monday - Wednesday {Geneseo}
B - Basketball camp from 12 - 2:30 Monday - Thursday {Mt. Morris}
C - Volleyball camp from 9 - 3 Monday - Thursday {Geneseo}
and running around NON-STOP, I just might be ready for the nice calm consistency that comes with the school year. With that said, there is the long to-do list to get them ready for back to school.
As always... the key to not going CrAzY is making a to-do list of all the things that need to be accomplished and to get to it.
FALL SPORTS: Have you registered them online yet? Are their physicals up to date? If no, be sure to call to schedule those appointments.
Do they have the proper equipment needed for their fall sports? {cleats, sneakers, whatever is required for their sport} If not, that's a trip to a sporting goods store or online shopping session.
What's the sports schedule? Practice & games? Pencil them in on the calendar!
SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Then it's on to school supplies, or for some mamas with elementary kiddies this is where the to-list starts. Did you know some schools are putting their supply lists online. How convenient to be able to access the supply list at anytime from anywhere.
{check to see if your child's list is on there}
I know our school district {Geneseo} has the middle & high school lists available online on the district's main web page.
How many parents buy extras while supply shopping and put them away? {I know I do and keep them in a bin in our hall closet.} It never fails that one child comes home within the first few days and needs more than what you had purchased from the original list. Or how about when they start studying? Our kids will occasionally resort to flash cards so index cards are essential {or have you tried Quizlet?? A great online study tool!}
We also put together a Homework Caddy - all the essentials for homework in one place so there is no question where anything is when it's needed {a Dollar Store Caddy is perfect for this!}:

pencils
pens
markers
colored pencils
erasers
highlighters
post-its
index cards
calculator
ruler
tape
glue stick
{We also have a stash of poster board, card stock, construction paper & rubber cement for larger projects.}
SCHOOL CLOTHES/SHOES: That parent to-do list for back to school is LONG... next are the clothing & shoes. I must confess that our clothing & shoe purchase in August is not what it use to be. I use to buy our kids pants in August/September and by the time they needed them, they would be too small. That's when I decided we would make those purchases in October or November when the weather was finally cooler.
For back to school we purchase:
A few pairs of shorts
Shirts
Sweaters/Sweatshirts
Dress-pants {for our son}
Skirts/Dresses {for our daughter}
Shoes
Sneakers
Undergarments/Socks
BACKPACKS/LUNCH BOXES: And finally.... how are the kiddies getting their things to and from school? And do they take their lunch? Our kids generally do not get new backpacks and lunch boxes each year - Our typical rule is every other year or if the current item is no longer usable. However, our daughter spotted a new Vera Bradley lunch box she "had to have." {And if I was 13, I would have needed a new lunch box, too - look at that print!}

Now with the to-do list behind you... go ahead, enjoy the last bit of summer with the kiddies!
Have questions or need help with your organization needs - contact Danica at orderlybydanica@gmail.com