Let's Go Back to School, Tuesday Morning Style!

This post is sponsored by Tuesday Morning but all opinions are my own

School bell’s are ringing!! If you live in Kentucky anyway…! It’s always a transition, isn’t it? It feels like yesterday that our daughter was entering PreK and our son Kindergarten, and now here they are as first and second graders! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!? We feel pretty lucky that our kids love school and they get so excited about going back. Reese is a social butterfly and Pierson is an academic whiz; both are turning into all around excellent students. This year we wanted to do something a little different when we were preparing to go back, we thought it would be fun for the kids to come up with ideas for gifts for their teachers.

Both my husband Asa and I are also full time school teachers, and we know how special it feels when our students are thinking of us! Lucky for us we have a Tuesday Morning super close by our house, so one afternoon we went in and browsed all the aisles to come up with what I think are pretty cute gifts. The kids helped too, finding some beautiful miniature globes that they thought their teachers would love to have. We got those and found some decorative stickers to apply to them, adding the teacher’s name to the globes.

Reese wanted to do something ‘sweet’ for the teachers, and so we found some yummy cookies at Tuesday Morning (they look and taste homemade, yes, I had to sneak one) ;) She filled a little glass container we also purchased there, and we made a little note that said, “I’m going to be one SMART cookie with you as my teacher!”

Even though we ARE school teachers and the kids are great about school (i.e. doing their homework, reading, etc.) we did need a little more organization in our life this year. We decided to create a ‘school wall’ in our entry way, so that the kids could unpack their backpacks and put their papers or folders in labeled bins. This way, we can also keep track of what we need to sign and fill out and return. Pierson and Reese also loved this idea and of course made them even MORE excited about going back—they actually ASKED when we thought they would be able to get homework!!

Last but not least, let’s talk school lunches. How do your kids get lunch at their schools? Because Pierson and Reese’s Elementary offers free hot lunches, we don’t typically allow them to take a lunch every single day. (Hey, when you can save money, you save money, right?!) But we did want to be prepared for when they ARE able to take a lunch from home, so thanks to Tuesday Morning we were able to stock up on some new food containers for their lunch boxes. From teachers’ gifts to home organization to kitchen necessities, Tuesday Morning really had ALL the back to school needs!

Hopefully I have you convinced that you definitely don’t want to miss Tuesday Morning’s great deals and supplies for YOUR back-to-school transition?! Do you have one of their stores near you? Click here to find the closest one to your location, and I would love to see what you found with your kids when you go! While we chose to do more of a gift/organization/lunch haul, maybe you all need notebooks or planners or more supply related items. We love our Tuesday Morning and are really happy with all that we were able to find, and all within our back to school budget too! If you’d like to share a graphic on your social media platforms, I’ve posted one below! Thanks for reading, Y’all, and HAPPY SCHOOL SHOPPING! :) xx

School: Fun for Kids, Heartache for Mama

I'll never forget the motto my mom sent me off to fifth grade with: "Just smile," she said, as she put me on the bus that morning. I was switching from a private Christian school to public, and while I knew a handful of kids that would be there, I was basically stepping foot on to very unfamiliar ground. 

The morning Reese woke for preschool, I got to lie in bed with her for a few minutes. She snuggled close to me and talked a mile a minute. There's one thing for certain and it's that she never seemed shy or hesitant about going to a brand new place, praise God for that. Our Pierson, her big brother, started kindergarten this year, but she was starting her school year first. I looked her in the eyes and hugged her so tight. "Reesie, if there's one thing you remember today, remember this: just SMILE." She said, "Okay, Mama!" "Reesie, smile, because then you'll help the other kids feel happy too and they'll know they can be your friend." I then changed her into her brand new first day of school outfit and there it all began.

Dropping her off the first day really wasn't all that bad. My husband and Pierson came with me, and we all hugged and kissed her several times. She was a little bit shy, but she didn't shed even one tear. I went off to set up my classroom and I swear I don't think I've ever missed her more in my life... (and she was just twenty minutes away!) When the time came to go get her, the three of us went again and Pierson and I were practically giddy with excitement. My baby girl and his baby sister!! They've never known (remembered) a day without the other in it, and it was very evident that he missed the heck out of her. We all walked to her classroom and there she was, putting together a princess puzzle, happy as could be. Pierson yelled her name and her little head shot up in surprise. "MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!" she yelled. She didn't nap that first day, as I figured, but she was HAPPY, ate a good lunch, and the teacher said she listened so well all day long. The second day (the very next morning) that she was dropped off, I went alone, and leaving her behind I could feel myself getting choked up. One of my girlfriends has kiddos enrolled at the same school and bumped into me in the parking lot. "You okay??" she asked. "I hope so! I feel like I'm going to bawl soon!" She assured me that second days are often harder than the first, and that everything was going to be JUST fine. Guess what? She was right :)

Reese has now been in school for two and a half weeks and isn't just doing great, we really believe she is thriving. Enrolling her in this program has gone a million times better than we ever expected, and EVERY single day that I pick her up (three days a week), she is all smiles, laughter, and pure happiness. AND, she even naps every single day! It blows my mind that my baby baby is old enough for preschool (and that she turns FOUR in a matter of weeks!!) but I literally could not be more proud of the girl she is. 

I thought about doing two separate posts about the kids' schools but then ruled that out. My son Pierson started Kindergarten August 15th and has been at it for a week and a half. His dad is a teacher at the same school, and their classrooms are literally three doors down from one another...TALK ABOUT A PRAISE! Many of the teachers (and the principal) know Pierson really well from all my Facebook pictures and us being friends with them--so I never really had any anxiety about him starting. I am blessed to have a principal who allowed me to see him off on his very first day, and I was honestly shocked when the tears started streaming down my face. I know you're not supposed to let your kids know that you're truly SAD about them starting school, so I played it off super well; inside however, I felt as if I were breaking. 

All of a sudden it dawned on me, that five years have come and gone. It literally feels as if they disappeared, and if the last five flew by that quickly, how much faster are the NEXT five going to go?! But Pierson hasn't seemed to mind. My big, strong, brave, and incredibly sweet boy--he had an amazing first day of kindergarten and excitedly told me all about it when he got home. How amazing is it though, that my husband gets to take him to work each day and also bring him home? He sees him multiple times throughout the school day, and their lunches even overlap. He's taken a selfie with him in the cafeteria every single day so far, and I told him to PLEASE continue so that I can make a little book at the end of the year of Pierson + Dad's first year of school. [How cute will that be?!] 

Lo and behold though, an illness has already made its' way to one of them; Pierson came down with a 102-fever late Thursday night and is still (it's Sunday) struggling to kick it. Praise God it's nothing too hard to manage, but he is so lethargic and my heart hurts for him right now! He is loving school, and has received nothing but positive praise and compliments since the very first day. He listens, is obedient, is making friends, and my mama heart is bursting at the seams with pride! 

Eventually I'll get back in the swing of writing more regularly here, right? That's the hope anyway. We are in the process of designing our living room, which has been super fun, so that post will be coming soon. Other than that, my husband and I are back to our own classrooms and are trying hard to stay afloat amongst busy schedules, lesson planning, and transporting our kiddos all over the kiddos [it seems that way anyway!] Where we moved is SO FAR away from so many friends and family, and even our jobs! 30-40 minutes in the car ONE WAY is a new challenge to our lifestyle, but I'm trying to stay positive about it because we love our new neighborhood and the people here. 

OH! For the first time ever, I'm teaching kindergarten and first graders for part of my day. Last week was the first time I've had them; three sweet little boys, and oh my heart they are adorable. My students come to me for a special therapeutic day program--they spend part of the day in programs and treatment, and the other part in school with me. Have you heard the phrase 'herding kittens' before? That was literally how I felt. These babies come to me because they need help with medication--either getting ON the right one, or getting rid of them altogether to start from square one. It takes a while to find the right fit, but eventually they get there and are a little more calm :) In the afternoon I have fourth and fifth graders, and right now I have such a great group of girls! Friday they were able to take a vocabulary quiz and reading test; we had lamps on and piano music playing, and it did my heart SO good to see them so comfortable in the classroom. 

Alright friends, time to wrap up. (You know right? Ha!) What's going on in your life right now? Are your kids in school? If so, what grades, and how do you feel about it? I'd love to hear from you so leave a comment in the section below or shoot me an email! Have a blessed week, y'all! 

xox

Letter Board by Letterfolk

Let's Get Real

Hey everyone, so moment of truth, how many people here enjoy working? Is it like, 10% or 90% of you reading who say, "I do! I love getting up in the morning and going to work all day!" Because I'll just be real with you: I want to stay home with my babies all day everyday, as exhausting and infuriating as they can be, and write and take pretty pictures on my terms. Can anyone else relate?

Do not get me wrong here or twist these words--I love teaching, and I love the relationships that I build with students. However, now that I've had a taste of stay at home life, well, it's that much harder to go back. My son starts kindergarten next Wednesday and my daughter starts preschool in TWO days. Bless their hearts but good LORD, could someone just heal MY broken heart?! There are some moms who are great with their kids growing up and getting older and get super thrilled about all the milestones. I have loved every stage and every single year, but let's also be real; when Pierson was three months old, you would have found me in his nursery crying, flat on my face, simply because he had changed so much. (Okay, at that time I had a serious thyroid disorder that made my hormones ALL out whack, but still!!) Most months when I feel extra emotional, it kind of spirals when I think about all the memories or moments of recent days. It's like, in SPITE of how frustrated (downright angry) I get with their bickering, tattling, and constant messes, I simultaneously want to scoop them up and hold them on my lap and squeeze them forever. 

Let's get real. I just signed up to a part of my son's PTA. I smiled and gave my email address and sat through his orientation with many other parents in the room; meanwhile, I felt like I was having the wind knocked out of me over, and over, and over again. There's a difference in losing your breath when you see your baby for the first time after hours of a strenuous labor and then losing it because you've realized that baby is FIVE freeking years old and he's his own miniature person. And the same goes for my baby girl, who is SO excited to start school because her brother is, and who talks constantly about picking her outfit for the first day, making friends, and listening to her teacher. Y'all, these are GREAT THINGS! I just need to be 100% honest in admitting that they also are making me feel physically ILL at the moment. 

You know those moments as a mom when you're utterly exhausted and you're sitting on the toilet, and you think, "This moment of peace will last a maximum of 2.3 seconds...." and then you're spot on, because the kids barge in and are either running from each other or one asks to literally see what progress you've made on said toilet? I literally shut my bathroom door today, for the FIRST TIME EVER, because we have never had an en suite. And we now have THREE bathrooms in this house [hello heaven!!!!!] so I thought, "Surely I can just pee, and close the door so that I don't hear their noise." Lo and behold Reese storms through the door: "MOM! WHY did you close the door?! That's so MEAN!!" It was a rare moment where I had my patience under control, and I said, "Reese, let's try that again. I closed the door because I can. I am a grownup and grownups can close doors, children should not. I closed the door because I wanted a minute of quiet. Why don't you try knocking on the door and asking if it's okay to come in?" "Okay, Mommy!!" she responded. And she practiced. "That's a very big girl thing to do, Reese," I praised. And then I almost laughed out loud because the entire exchange took way too long and let's face it, I had finished peeing LONG ago, I was just merely scrolling my phone at the point that she had rudely entered. However, I digress. There's going to come a day in the very near future that my daughter does not WANT to come in the bathroom with me. Let's get real. She is going to want her privacy, and respect mine, and the days of her constantly wanting me will be no more. 

Our son just recently started going into a stall at the gym to change into his swimsuit and HE has been closing the door when he uses the bathroom here at home. I don't even know when or how this happened, is that just like, an innate thing that kids do? Because Lord knows I didn't prompt that. I guess I just feel like at this moment, in this season, my kids are giants. And it's barely just begun. So here, let's look at some sappy photos and all cry together, want to? 

From none to one to five, I'm just not sure where the years went.....and here's some of Reesie Cup:

I've read many a blog post where moms write about the woes and heartache of their children growing bigger. The posts about how important it is for self-care as a mom [and it is] and how we should also not care so much about the messes and finger printed glass doors; we all experience it. We blink and they are starting school. We wake up and they are four and five. While I used to never understand phrases like, "Just you wait, tomorrow they'll be driving themselves!" I do now. I remember carrying two car seats very uncomfortably on my arms, balancing them up multiple staircases to get into our home; and now both of my kids can buckle themselves in. 

Let's get real. Life is fleeting, and I am holding on for dear life. 

Books, Bunnies, and a BIG TGIF

This has been the longest/shortest week ever. I'm not sure how it's Friday, yet some of our days have felt incredibly long. Some things I've wondered this week: do other moms completely lose their patience? We have some incredibly sweet moments, but come Friday (today) I legit had to call Asa at work to talk with Pierson because I was at my wits END. Anyway, that's perhaps another blog post...and I'm getting this one up later than usual, so I may or may not be even MORE worn out as I try to figure out the good things to say about these five days ;) 

The kids had so much fun decorating for Easter this month and I love how excited they were with some of their crafts [hence why I'm sharing some Easter photos a tad late.]

We spent 99% of our days at our dining room table, but I love it. It's where I read my devotions, journal, and often where we read our Bible stories in the morning. As you all know, I am pro-every-single-holiday so with Earth Day being tomorrow, we did some lessons this week. We talked about the importance of recycling, deciphering what goes in the garbage, and ways to keep the world clean. Pierson impressed me with his sorting and gluing skills; I had a little glimpse into his upcoming kindergarten days :( Sammy is pictured because he has been cracking us UP getting into our fabric boxes, trying to steal the kids craft pom pom balls. Look at his crazy eyes!

The kids got some new books this week, Kingdom of You, and we LOVE them. They are personalized with their names, their favorite things (pasta and ice cream, and superheroes and princesses!), and the pages are full of color and fascinating pictures. I read to both Pierson and Reese their individual stories, and they loved finding their names throughout the pages. If you haven't yet checked out this company Lost My Name, I highly recommend them and their books!

This afternoon was a long one waiting for Daddy to get home... but it was filled with laughter, drinks at the faucet (his favorite thing to do because his cool big cousin/best friend Arie showed him how, haha!!) and princess spins in the dining room. And last but not least, Reese got an adorable new toy, Chloe the Bunny, from Cuddle and Kind. When one doll is bought, ten meals are given to children in need--how awesome is that?!