The Icky School Years

Ahh elementary school, home to countless airborne illnesses and rampant contagions.  It never takes long once the school year has begun for something to pop up.  It seems as if there is always at least one kid with ooze leaking from them in one form or another and invariably your own child will at some point bring some of these home with them.

It’s just a part of parenting but why do some of those normal childhood contagions have to be so darn icky?

My least favorite thing to ever be brought home from school was by far lice.  Nothing makes my skin crawl more than opening a backpack to find a warning that lice has been found.  A few years back the girls school had a real problem with lice that I am really hoping never happens again.

I think that besides the creepy crawly feeling you get when the word lice is mentioned this is what bothers me the most about these pests;  that it is so easy for the problem to continue.  All it takes is one parent who doesn’t follow through on treatment to start the cycle of transmitting the little buggers around again.

Now lice are something of an extra annoyance because it is entirely preventable but most things passed around are not.  It does seem the vast majority of childhood illnesses are contagious before symptoms appear so there really is no preemptive defense against them.

I really do believe it is impossible to keep a hundred or more children in the same building for 8 hours a day from spreading every single cold and flu germ to each and every connected household. It is simply something that everyone with school age children, particularly the elementary aged ones have to deal with.  

I’m hoping that lice doesn’t crop up this year but without a doubt the first school related contagion has reached our home in the form of a rather reddened eye which of course can mean only one thing pink-eye.  

Like every other year I'll do the only thing I can; deal with the collateral damage that comes with each school year and stock up on the Kleenex and Advil.  

First Day - 100 word count

Summer is out and school is back in

The first day has come and all were prepared

There were new teachers and friends to meet

And old ones from past years to greet

The first day is different than all of the rest

It’s exciting and special as each child will attest

Everything’s shiny and brand spanking new

Runners, notebooks, backpacks and pens

There are many questions to face and to answer

Some will be hard and some will be easy

But the first to be asked is always the same

How was your summer and what did you do?

Summer Fades

I could see my breath this morning as I walked the dog.  Summer in all its glory is fading from the air. The girls both head off to school next week and new runners and lunch kits and school supplies seem to be taking over.  It’s time to start getting up earlier as the morning becomes a little more rushed.  Lunches to be made, breakfast to be had, lost socks to be found.

School supplies were actually quite easy this year and not that costly.  After buying so much every year for so many years we seem to have a lot of them hanging around.  You would think our house is a mini-staples at times.  I already had all the basics covered, dictionaries, verb books, geometry sets, calculators you know the “big ticket” items.

The little stuff can add up certainly but even then we didn’t need too much.  It’s another example of why I always say organizing is the key to everything.  Those who ask how I have the energy to do all that I do don’t realize that sometimes I don’t have the energy.  I can keep going because I know whatever it is will be easier because it’s organized.

That of course is the biggest challenge to those first back to school days, organizing the girls and all their stuff.  It’s always a lot to carry that first day and I try to space it out if I can. Actually no, that isn’t the biggest challenge that would be getting them up and out the door on time.  

I let them sleep in during the summer months and while my youngest happily gets up early without a problem any time of year the oldest is becoming a little more challenging.  Like me she isn’t a morning person and over the summer she would have happily slept until noon each day if I’d let her.

School starting is just another sign that the time for summer fun is almost over. Like the changing leaves, the cooler nights and the shorter sunlit hours.  I’m not worried though as fall fun is just around the corner.   

Back to School

I seem to be in a bit of shock that my oldest is now officially attending a school with high in the name ok it is just junior high but still, yikes!  When did that happen, when did she become this beautiful and outgoing person no longer just a child.

She is of course still a child in many ways, still a pre-teen but clearly on the cusp of the next great stage and I can see it very clearly now.  I’m proud as can be however because I honestly like the person my child is becoming.

She is so like me in looks and also in mannerism even many of her strengths and weaknesses are the same as mine but for all our similarities she is quite different, unique.  It isn’t the things that are the same between the two of us that make me marvel at the person she is becoming but the differences.  I see my best qualities and remarkably few of my worst reflected in her.  

I suppose different life experience (even at this early stage) have vastly changed our perceptions of the world around us and she is ten times more confident and outgoing then I was at the same age, I hope it continues.

With new school supplies nearly toppling her over this morning I think I was just as excited for her to embark on the new school year and to see her continue to move forward in life.  Of course I’m also happy to see A doing the same. She was so happy for the start of school she literally couldn’t wait this morning and was sitting on the front steps about 20 minutes before her bus arrived.

E won’t readily admit that deep down she does enjoy school and was really just as excited as her sister but I know she was.  Of course the most important part of all is seeing their friends again; the occasional visit over the summer just isn’t the same as that everyday interaction.

I hope they both have a fun and exciting school year.   

School stuff

I was planning on getting a start on school supplies this weekend so I hope I can get most of it done this weekend.

I always forget how much actually needs to get done before the new school year never mind how much it all costs. Even though it is still a little over 3 weeks before the start of school I should really get started on everything.  I always like to make sure we are ready ahead of time.

I also need to get them slowly working towards normal bedtime and wake up times again, summer holidays result in bedtime becoming rather obsolete.  Routines get broken and it really can be a struggle to get back into those routines too quickly.

I also have the mile long lists of school supplies to get. This year it is getting pretty lengthy for E.  I’m not looking forward to buying her a $50 dollar scientific calculator when she has yet to hang onto even a basic calculator for a full year.

Usually pretty much everything with the exception of dictionaries and verb books aren’t in good enough condition to make it through another school year.  Being in French-Immersion they tend to need a few more books than their English only counterparts so being able to keep them in good condition for multiple years is important.   Still trying to decide whether purchasing her band instrument or renting would be a better option

I also have to figure out transportation for E as junior high students no longer qualify for busing from the school division.  It really isn’t too long a walk in good weather but during the winter months it may be. 

Oh well lots to think about and a busy weekend ahead.  Should be beautiful weather so here is hoping it won’t all be spent on school shopping.