Thoughts for Thursday: Back to School

This is our last week of summer and we are trying to fit in last minute fun. 

Tonight we will meet N's 1st grade teacher and if I cry I'm going to blame it on postpartum hormones. This time of year I always pull out our back to school book collection. Here are some of our favorites in it:

I also like to have lots of information on the teacher for gifts and surprises during the year. I'll usually email a few questions like this:

I'm really nervous about beginning the back to school routine again. I asked my mom to come down for the first day or so to help with pick up and drop off. And in two weeks, T will head back to school as well. In addition to that we will start up baseball, soccer, art and continue piano. I'm already missing our summer days. 

Any tips for making the transition as easy as possible would be greatly appreciated. Currently no one in this house is truly excited about summer ending.

Linking up with Annie and Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday.

Teacher Information

At the beginning of the year I like to give the teacher a questionnaire. A lot of schools will have the teachers fill one out, but I've never had one that was super comprehensive. It's great to have from the beginning so you aren't scrambling to find out info at the holidays or when you want to surprise the teacher. Here's a list of questions I ask:

It seems like a lot of parents love to spoil their child's teacher. I was completely spoiled when I taught (my favorite coffee showed up with muffins at early morning conferences or tutoring sessions). And I think when you give your child to someone else for multiple hours in the day and they are loved and happy you can't help but want to do whatever you can for the person who has taken your child under their wing. The monogram comes in handy for tumblers or bags. Hobbies, restaurants, shops, and knowing electronic usage helps for giving awesome gift cards (the #1 gift preferred by teachers). Shoe size may seem weird, and I've be able to figure it out without flat out asking before (think "Oh your feet are so tiny, what size do you where?") and I like to ask because of all the adorable flip flops that come out in the spring! Is there anything you would add to the list? I'm always looking to add to the list. 

Friday Finds

This Friday Finds is all about back to school! I've been last minute prepping this week, and fitting in all our last summer wishes (although technically N only will be in school two days next week, so there is more time). We've been reading our "back to school" books, talking about the first day, and debating taking the bus or walking.
So here are my picks, all lunch related, since that seems to be where the creativity can happen.

1. Nalgene Water Bottle - I LOVE these bottles. You can find them at Target or on Amazon (with the link). They come in different designs (we have quite a few). There's no sippy part to them - when open they will spill. But the best part, there's no valve or straw to clean (and lose). They are leakproof when closed and it's only 2 pieces (that easily go into the dishwasher). I think it might be a little silly how much I love these bottles.

2. Sandwich Cutters - In the past, I've used cookie cutters to make creative sandwiches. My only problem with that is there is a lot of wasted sandwich. This is probably my main reason for preferring cutters made for sandwiches. I know my boys would love the puzzle one!

3. Cloth Napkins - Last year I started sending the boys to school with cloth napkins. Only they were brown cocktail napkins from Pottery Barn (not the Kids one). In May I found some really cute Etsy ones, but at that point I figured why not wait until the fall since my lunch packing days were going on hiatus. So now it's fall and I've ordered these from EgadsandLittleFishes. Honestly I could have ordered quite a few. They are all so fun.

4. Stainless Steel Container - For years I've used plastic, and honestly I've been eyeing these containers since last fall. They are pricey but I have a hard time finding a better price especially for the amount of containers. I am done with plastic. I want something durable!

5. Dinnersaurs Fork and Spoon - There are our favorite utensils! They are sturdy and fun. I will say that the tip of the tails were quickly broken on ours but the boys never noticed - just I did. We use the spoon a lot more than the fork, but they make a super cute pair!

I hope everyone has either started a great school year or is looking forward to a great school year! While I feel on top of things with N, I completely forgot all the preschool prep for T. We will be dropping forms by the peds office this morning! Have a great weekend! 

Cheesy Pasta

This is T's absolute favorite meal. He will ask for it morning, noon, and night. It probably gets as excited about cheesy pasta for dinner as he does about making cookies. I like this dish because it's crazy easy to create. I found the original recipe on Sugar and Spice. 

T likes to help add the butter, cream and cheese.

Here's how I make it (which is honestly quite similar):

8 oz of Orzo

1 bunch of asparagus (trimmed and cut into half inch pieces)

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 c parmesan

1/2 c heavy cream

• Boil a pot of water and add the orzo. 
• After five minutes throw in the asparagus. 
• Drain after another five minutes, and place back into pot.
• Add butter and parmesan, mixing until combined.
• Add cream, and mix.

That's it! You're done. I have substituted many veggies - peas, broccoli, chopped spinach - they are eaten every time. I would definitely prefer whole wheat orzo, but I have yet to find that. 

This is also a school lunch staple for T. In a super cool Spiderman Thermos. 

Favorite Back to School Book Choices

As a teacher, I became acquainted with quite a few of these books. When N headed off to preschool, I had a chance to experience the books in a different way - as the parent. N loved preschool, each an every minute, however he is feeling a few nerves about starting kindergarten. And I'm feeling more than just a few nerves about him starting. Here's our back to school choices:

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This one gets me every time. And the past two years, N's school has had us send in "kissing hands". Maybe I'll throw one in his lunch for the first day next week.

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This is by far N's favorite. He LOVES reading it anytime. 

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While this one isn't so much about starting school, both my boys enjoy this one and it has a few reminders about good school behavior.

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I just ordered this one since my little guy is off to kindergarten! I've read it, but I thought it would be a nice surprise to own it before he heads off. 

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I've never read or heard of this one, but I did order it (and it will be here today). It looks really cute and who can resist the rhyming structure!

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My boys love this story about a dog going to show and tell!

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One of all time favorites, definitely one to giggle through. 

I'll be pulling these out next Sunday and Monday (or maybe before). If only there were sweet books like these for mommies who aren't ready for their little loves to head off quite yet.

Our Final Week Before School

I'm already having heart palpitations! N starts school next Tuesday (and doesn't go again until Friday). I realized I never shared our school supply shopping pictures. The list we received was no joke, although very similar to the lists I remember handing out as a teacher. 

 He was so excited he was a blur running things to the cart and coming back for more.

 The whole deal (I swear it's the correct orientation in my file):

 All of our supplies will be communal so there isn't a need to label them, but if I did need to, AndersRuff has the cutest labels. (There were super cute ones Maureen did on Instagram with lego man labels, I haven't seen them in the store yet though).

This weekend we painted the kitchen and then put up our official bookbag shelf. If you happen to purchase this shelf - do not use the included hardware (we had two holes in the wall to patch). I love the look and now I need to head to Ikea for some frames. A little artwork above, a calendar maybe, would completely finish it out!

I'll be back tomorrow to share my favorite back to school books! (and if you have a little lady, the Lilly Sale is on - sort of - hopefully technical issues will be figured out soon).

Friday Finds

Nordstrom Sale

I tried to convince my husband that these were perfect for T for fall. He disagreed. I still love them though. I can see them with so many different outfits.

Anthropologie

I love these bookends for the boys' room.

Anthropologie

These are perfect for back to school. I know my niece would love them!

jcrew (40% off with STYLE40)

This is such a great deal and such a great tank - shorts or jeans, throw on a cardigan or jean jacket in the cool months. Love it. All JCrew sale items are 40% off with STYLE 40 - I scoop up a few plain boy long sleeve tees for N. Such a great deal.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I can feel the summer days dwindling and school creeping up. The school supply lists are out, my big guy learned to tie his shoes yesterday, and our mornings in pjs with breakfast on the patio are going to end - so we are soaking it up - every last minute.

After the 4th

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! We got in a lot of family time (multiple sides), a lot of pool time (should have used more sunscreen), and a lot of great food. We were worn out!

Hanna Andersson pajamas - our fav!

One thing we missed this year were fireworks and sparklers. It rained almost everyday, and very unpredictably. My big guy has a birthday coming up so I think I'll pull some sparklers out for his big day. 

It seems like as soon as the Fourth passes, the whole back to school season is upon us. This will be my first year with one in school (like real school - kindergarten!). I've been looking over backpacks (I'm thinking it will be a birthday present). In past I've used the LLBean bags and lunch boxes and they have held up wonderfully (three and four years), but for Christmas I purchased a Pottery Barn Kids lunch box for N and I love it even more. I'm thinking I'll try out their book bags for him as well. He loves red right now so this is the one I'm ordering:

pottery barn kids

I'm just putting his initials on it for safety reasons and while I'd love to add the baseball patch, I think I'll keep it simple. I'm excited to see if I love it as much as their lunch boxes. 

I'm sure there will be more back to school posts, but for some reason it seems like book bags sell out quickly!