I worked out this morning that since 2003 I have done back to school / new term 89 times, by the time Laree finishes school I wil have done 113 new terms. I'm not looking for an award though as I currently hold the award for most bitten tongue.
The whole back to school panic thing irritates me. There you are halfway through the holidays and the back to school adverts start and the shops fill up with back to school items. When I'm buying my factor 15 the last thing I want to be confronted with is a rack of grey skirts, tights and a gimmicky pencil case. Besides, being smug, I have sorted it all out. Finely tuned.
The school uniform was all washed at the end of term, ironed and put away. Smug. My girls have all handed their uniforms down and with Laree being the shortest of the lot I have only bought summer dresses for her as the others have been trashed. The girls have all had new shoes when they have needed them, unless it's a week before the end of term and I wont buy new shoes then. I also wont beat the rush and buy shoes at the start of the holidays as they grow (and I might lose the shoes, now I am not saying that from experiene of course!). I can't bear shoe shopping unless it's a Cariad in Brecon where Becca isn't phased by demanding children or their frazzled parents, thankfully Mook has DMs which will last her for years. Years ago, probably in term 4 or 5 I bought Loops a pair of shoes wih rubber tipped toes and heels, they were great and lasted. Unlike the flimsy shoes that are £30 a pop and might be alright for just school but when we walk it's 1.5 miles each way they wear out.
Then there's the pencil case drama - I could build a shed in the garden with the amount of rulers we have. No no no I will not be forced into buying new pencils for a new term as there are plenty here, instead I will be overseeing them whilst they use Suzanne's electric sharpener, of course they will jab each other to check they are sharp enough at which point I will say you can get lead poisoning and Big Welsh will say you can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Oh such silly japes! Predictable I know.
The school bag is not so much an issue for Laree as I bought her a bag on the proviso she used it until she left school, so desperate was she that she agreed! Mook on the other hand will beg and plead for a new bag but I will look under the bed for a suitable bag and all will be well with the world! Well it wont be but I am not buying a new bag. Full stop. If my lot want something so desperately and they don't want to use what they have bought and discarded then they can buy it themselves. Imagine that, actually doing chores to pay for that desperately needed something that will be forgotten about when the next must have is heard about!
Into the school bag goes the packed lunch, the dog has eaten the pretty chilled lunch box bags (and is pretty chilled himself) so it's a tupperware box or a thermos with hot soup or pasta. It'll take me a while to get back into the swing of packed lunches but they're easy. My packed lunches are full of hearty and healthy food, Laree helps me to make it so she can see what goes in it.
Not so easy is the getting up on time and we must practice that if we are to leave in good time, with everything we need, because I am not buying anything they don't need! Oh the getting up thing will be hard, but I've got some new term resolutions:-
Make as much of packed lunch as possible the night before so it's just a quick grab from fridge
Have an early night
No washing accepted after 6pm
Homework done after school and not in the after school yet just before school slot
Breathe
It will all fall into place and after 3 children doing new terms 89 times it's no big thing, it's just another new term, again.
Here we go again!