Back to school!

Well, we have managed to make it through the first three weeks of school. My cute little bronze skinned, summer sun-kissed children are back to learning! Jake started 3rd grade and Emma started 1st. And I started a new job this year working four days a week at a different church preschool teaching 3 year olds.

We are back to a routine schedule where the kids go to bed by 8:30 and wake up eager and chipper at 6am on Monday and then by Friday I am pulling them out of their beds at 6:40 because they are just so tired. We are all just so tired. This waking up to an alarm every day? Hate it. However, the good thing about school starting up again is that I make the kids take regular baths and practice good personal hygiene. Because, let's face it, in the summer? We just stay dirty. I figure a good rinse in the pool every day counts for something right?

The start of a new school year brings about a lot of excitement too. Who will their teacher be? Which friends will be in their class? And my personal favorite. The buying of the school supplies. I don't actually like spending $75 on the school supplies. But I love spreading out all the crayons, markers, folders and hand sanitizer on the table when we're done shopping and organizing it. I love the smell of new supplies! Weird maybe. But it's just my thing.

Of course, as parents all over this country know, the beginning of the new school year also brings about a slew of paperwork coming home from the school asking you for your money. All of it. Want to be involved in your child's education? Join the PTA! $7.50. And sign up your husband too. $7.50.

Capture the moment your child entered a new grade with one of these school portrait packages. Most popular package? $38. Why can't I just buy one freakin' 8 by 10?

 Help your child become a better reader by ordering from Scholastic Books! (I secretly love this one by the way, but I always end up spending way too much money because books? They are my favorite.) $20.

 Your child needs a new class t-shirt to show their school spirit and so we don't lose them when we go on field trips. $10 a shirt per kid. And they need a new one every. single. year.

Cafeteria money. Now I know this one is optional except that it's really not. My kids take their lunch Monday through Thursday but on Fridays they just absolutely MUST go through the cafeteria line and have cheese pizza. Then they MUST spend an extra dollar to get ice cream. If I do not allow this then I am the meanest mom ever. Friday lunches at school $20 a month per kid.

And finally, the packet I can't wait to receive every year. School Fundraiser! It's so easy to participate! Just ask all of your friends and relatives to buy a tub of $17 cookie dough or how about a Fiesta Soup Trio for $17? We also have $15 lunch totes, a $20 Santa Plug In Warmer or a $15 roll of wrapping paper. What a steal! I know I can't buy wrapping paper at Target for less than that! Who can resist? Everyone. That's who. None of your relatives want to buy this crap. And all of your friends have kids selling the same crap so that is a no go. But if your kid doesn't sell 10 items then they won't get their own piece of duct tape to tape the assistant principal to the wall! And if they don't sell 20 items then they won't get to ride in a limo to Gatti Town with all of the other over achievers for an afternoon of pizza, games and fun! They will be stuck back at school with all of the other under achievers who probably won't go to college or ever move out of their parents house. What's a mama to do? Order stuff you don't need to promote your child's self esteem and hopefully cut down on the cost of therapy in their future. $100 per child. And we're done until Spring when the next fundraiser begins. I can hardly wait.