Celebrating Charlie starting Kindergarten
It’s hard to believe that Charlie is just days away from Kindergarten. It makes me emotional just thinking about it. It’s as if I am cutting the apron strings, and I am just not ready yet. On the bright side, I must say we’ve had a fun summer together making the most of our memories. We’ve made trips to the drive in movies, trips to the library, pool, and park, and even a few staycations and mini road trips. We’ve explored our city so much! One of my favorite memories was watching him blossom into an amazing big brother. The belly laughs and giggles I hear when he is together with Claire is completely priceless.
Every year before school starts, I like to throw a little “get excited about school party.” It’s just a fun way for us to mentally prepare on a positive note. We’re pretty low key – just pizza and cupcakes and chatting about our favorite summer memories.
It’s safe to say I’ve gone back to school shopping 3 times already. I know, it’s my super type-a personality at it’s finest. ;) I want to make sure he has everything he needs and is totally set up for success. Speaking of being totally set up for success, I am planning on being extra conscious about self-care so I can be the very best version of myself. I am devoting time to focusing on myself and having the things I love in life! I’ve always been one of those people who are crazy particular about pens. It’s safe to say my desk drawers are stuffed with pens that write just the right way – no pun intended! ;) Charlie is notorious for sneaking into my office and playing with my pens. I mean, I guess what kid is not notorious for that, right?! He’s probably so inspired from all of the notes I leave in his lunch box. ;) Pastels are my go to color palette, so I always have my favorite pastel pens from Pilot on hand. And the fact that these favorite pens are so durable and long-lasting and even erasable makes them perfect for Charlie’s school supply list too. I’m definitely including them!
This might sound silly, but ever since I was a little girl I would get so excited about having my own children one day and making their lunches. I would think of all the different snacks and surprises I would stuff in their lunches. I even thought of all the sweet things I would include on the napkin notes that I do today – one of my favorite traditions. Charlie is easy to please when it comes to lunch, so I normally alternate between turkey and cheese sandwiches, ham and cheese, or if I get really lazy or nostalgic, I’ll make a PB&J. Normally when I make turkey and cheese sandwiches, I alternate between the cheese brands that we buy, but lately I’ve been loving Sargento Cheese. There is something about the authentic 100% real, natural cheese flavor that doesn’t compare to other brands I have bought. It has the perfect bite to it! And when it comes to being a top notch lunch packer, you can be like my best-friend-since-kindergarten’s-mom and get totally creative and even use a cookie cutter to cut heart shaped sandwiches. I was always SO jealous!
Confession: This shot was not planned – though it totally looks like it was. Charlie was so excited about the sandwich while we were shooting that he started eating it. Note to self- never do a photoshoot with food right at lunch time. ;) The oops eraser just so happened to be on the table so we rolled with it. It still cracks me up! To pump up the party, I busted out some paper plates and let him hit the pedal to the metal using his full artistic creative freedom. He even decorated them with pretzel sticks- who would have thought?! He’s always been an artist at heart.
The older I get, the more I realize self care is an absolute must. “Happy mom, happy kids.” Or as my husband says “happy wife, happy life.” I have to be extra careful to not run my battery down. You know how that goes. ;) We can only do so much, right?! Sometimes with crazy sleeping schedules with a new baby, it’s hard for me to get a full night of sleep. I keep hearing so much hype about natural melatonin, so I finally caved in and tried Natrol melatonin and it’s been helpful. I probably won’t need it every night, but there are certain nights where I do so much tossing and turning that I am relieved to have it in my cabinet. Other ways that I plan to practice self care include exercising, taking 30 minutes of “me time” a day, scheduling in more date nights, and not feeling so guilty when I go out and get a manicure – Deep down inside I know I shouldn’t feel guilty for that but for some reason I do.
I still cannot believe Charlie is starting kindergarten so soon. I don’t know who is less ready, me or Charlie. I am sure I’ll be that mama bear bawling my eyes off after he darts into class. It makes me emotional just thinking about it. I don’t want to let go… With these type of ‘let’s get excited about school activities’, he’ll probably have no idea how emotional it is for me so I guess I’ll pull the wool over his eyes for now.
So mama friends, what are your favorite ways to pump your little ones up about school or major milestones? I would love to know. I am right there with you!
