Thursday, August 23, 2012

Getting Ready

Summer is quickly coming to an end.  

Yesterday I made the trek to the store (sans kiddos, thank heavens) and spent two hours buying school supplies (markers, crayons, paints, pencils, rulers, protractors, pencil cases, folders, binders, notebooks, on and on and on), gym shoes and gym bags, and more paper towels/kleenex/hand sanitizer than I thought possible.  With four children to shop for this year (oh, be still my heart) I tried to make the extensive lists as simple as possible.  In order to keep myself from getting too confused I went through the store four separate times and bought each child's supplies individually.  It sounds crazy but it actually really helped.  Each child had their own bags of supplies and when I got home and labeled everything (I mean EVERYTHING) it made it much easier than going through the bags all over again and trying to sort out who gets what.  

Now the bags, backpacks, and gym shoes are all labeled, set aside, and ready to go.  Job done.  


This summer, same as last year, I had the boys doing school work in the morning.  There is a fantastic website called Super Teacher Worksheets that allows you to print out worksheets for all different subjects, grades, and interests.  It is fab-u-lous.   The boys are actually excited to do their work.  It is challenging but fun.  

My boys have worked on math (adding, subtracting, decimals, fractions, multiplication, division, word problems) penmanship, reading, writing, spelling, science, and social studies.  Not only am I confident that I am sending them back to school at the same level they left in June, but I know they have learned a bit more as well.  

As a matter of fact, I was very disappointed with the 4K program Ben was in this past year (he learned NOTHING) and was concerned about him being behind in the kindergarten program at my boys' school.  When Ben went to get his eyes tested in May he had to use pictures for his exam because he didn't know his alphabet well enough.  When Ben went to get his eyes looked at again last week he knew all his letters.  I was so proud of him and now I know that all the work we've been doing this summer is paying off.  I am confident he will do well with the rest of his kindergarten class. 

(I really had to chop this photo because my boys like to sit around in their underwear in the morning.)

I am really proud of my boys and the work they have put in.  Technically, we are ready for school to begin.  Emotionally we just aren't there yet.  We have much we want to do.  More swimming.  More playing.  More campfires.  More fun.  

Hopefully these last two weeks will go nice and slow.

  

10 comments:

Amy said...

You are one smart Mom. That is a great idea to get their supplies separately. So much easier than dumping all those bags at home to divide the stuff! I'll be checking out that worksheet site. My first baby started kindergarten yesterday. Waahh!

Tabor said...

You are amazing. These kids are so lucky to have such an organized and emotionally stable mother. I think I would find myself a closet and pull my hair out! I cannot believe how getting ready for school is now an all-day job! I just had to by a backpack and a box of kleenex.

Unknown said...

Wow! Way to keep them working during Summer. I didn't do so well at that this year...

p.s. if you pack your kids' lunches be sure to check out the lunch posts that me and some other bloggers are doing! :)

Kat said...

Tabor- The lists are CRAZY. Some of the teachers even are asking for a specific COLOR of folder or notebook or a specific brand of marker. ACK! I showed my mom the lists and she nearly had a heart attack. THANK GOD she watched the kids for me while I shopped because in past years I TOOK THEM WITH ME. It was a nightmare.
;)

lime said...

that's great that you kept them engaged in learning all summer. hats off to you. or in the case of the boys....shirts,pants, shoes off to you. hehehe. that's so cute.

Wisconsin Girl said...

I just remembered that I still need to get Sam a lunch box after reading your post:) It is quite amazing all of the supplies that are needed for school these days...that task is a bit overwhelming. GREAT idea with the worksheets and I'll keep that in mind for next summer. Sam starts school on Monday already...we are headed to the zoo (our last trip with all 3 before one heads off to school all day:( tomorrow to catch the dinosaur exhibit before it ends on Labor Day weekend. Enjoy these next 2 weeks. I have no doubt you'll have a great time together no matter what!

Unknown said...

We did some work to get ready during the summer too.

I love that you went on a shopping trip with each of them.



I would love for you to link this post up to my Back to School Traditions link up! http://www.jdaniel4smom.com/2012/08/back-to-school-tradtions-link-up.html

Karen Deborah said...

You have the potential to be a joyfilled homeschooler. Have you ever thought about it?

Karen Deborah said...

ps the school supply lists are getting nuts. My daughter has to come up with about $300 for 2 kids. She is a single mom and that isn't easy. Besides the "stuff," some classes have fees. What the heck are taxes for?

Riahli said...

Bwahahaha! My boys LOVE studying in their underwear as well, good thing we homeschool... ;) You are an awesome mommy!

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson