10 Essentials Before We Start School

1. Buy a good pair of shoes. This week my fourth pair of shoes broke. The 4th (yes, really 4 pairs down in one month!) came completely unglued while I was at church, during the second song. Fortunately, Evan now wears the same size as me, and he had an extra pair in the car. So if you saw me with a cute pair of black heels before church, then some camo color Tevas after, now you know why. But I really do need to get a pair of shoes for the start of school. Evan needs his Teva's back.

2. Figure out Emily's Allergies. OK, I really doubt that we'll have this all figured out before school starts. But, it would help my energy level immensely if she didn't wake up in the middle of the night crying because she itched so bad. I've had her off wheat for the past week. I think it might be part of the problem.

3. Get rid of the stink. Yea! Sean accomplished this last week. Ever since we moved into this house, the basement, where all our school supplies are stored, has stunk like dog urine. After removing the bottom layer of drywall, a pile of dead mice, and some old shelving, the stink is gone!

4 Organize meals and grocery shopping. We've been following Fishmama's advice and having a rotational breakfast menu this summer. It has been so helpful! I'd like to get lunch ideas and some regular dinner ideas written down so we know what's on the menu for the week. Allergies make it a little more tricky. And I seem to never have time to go to the grocery store. If I could order it all online, I would. And no, the regular stores don't offer in our area, I've checked. So I'm pretty much ordering as much as I can through Azure Standard.

5 Finish unpacking all our books. I feel like this unpacking will never end! I think I still have half a dozen boxes of books to unpack.

6 Develop routines for animal care. We went from one very independent cat that we didn't even have to feed, to caring for 3 horses and 3 kittens. Oh, it's so much fun! But it does take much more time than I thought. And I was imagining that the girls would be able to take care of the animals by themselves. But we're not quite there yet. Not if we want children and animals to be safe and healthy. Evan is waiting for the dog we hope to get.

7 Buy a few books. Usually that's the focus of getting ready for school: supplies and books. But last year, I did all the coupon deals for back to school supplies. I still have enough from last summer that I don't need to buy any supplies. But I do need to buy Amy a math book.

8,9, 10 Pray, pray and pray some more! Each year, I feel more inadequate in my own abilities as a teacher, and yet more confident that God is using me and making me adequate, to train them. I guess the more I see of my faults, the more it makes me dependent on Him.

During past years, I've had a more conventional approach to the start of the school year. The planning has looked different too. Every year is so different! What a fun adventure this year is shaping up to be.