It's So Hard Getting Ready In The Morning

I make a promise to myself every school year that I am going to start doing better with the organization of my time. I do ok for the first 6 weeks and then things start to fall off. I promise that i will wake up an hour and a half earlier to prepare myself for the day, make a hot breakfast, do Zaria's hair, make sure her clothes are ironed and get her to school on time. It doesn't happen that way.

It seems I wake up 20 to 30 minutes before we have to leave. We're rushing to get in a bowl of cold cereal. Hair is all over the place(both of ours, LOL).Clothes are super wrinkled. Zaria can't find her shoes. "Mommy, where is my bookbag?" AAAARRG! I want to scream!!

Last week, I braided Zaria's hair the night before(thinking I was doing something), put a silk scarf on to keep everything in place and wouldn't you know it.....The next morning(Zaria is a wild sleeper). I couldn't find half of her barrettes. Somehow they came out while she slept. We're looking under the pillow, behind the bed, under the doll's arm----They were on the floor behind the rug!

I can't win for losing!

This week I promised that I would be more organized. I will go to bed early, lay out crisply ironed clothes the night before, do Zaria's hair(minus the barrettes until the morning), get up an hour earlier and fix a hot breakfast before getting her to school on time.

We've only been late twice......and today is Tuesday! HELP!

Reminiscing While Preparing For Back-To-School

Wow! It's that time of year again. This semester Princess Zaria will be entering 4th grade. I met her teacher, Ms. Ivy, last week to discuss the curriculum. The 4th graders will be doing some real challenging work this semester, especially in math. Getting ready for this season of education actually takes me back to a time before Princess Zaria. Rewind 16 years ago, my oldest son was preparing to enter preschool.

I was so excited for him. At that time, he was the only child. I knew school would be a great outlet for him. I taught him the basics at home but I wanted him to gain social skills with other children. Back then, schools tested children before they entered preschool. If they failed the test, they were admitted. If they passed, they were placed on a waiting list.

My son passed the test!

He was asked his first and last name- passed.
He was asked primary colors-passed.
He was asked to count to 10- He counted to 20. Then he counted to 10 in Spanish!!!!

Well, let's just say he didn't learn to socialize with other kids that year:(
I always wondered why some parents encouraged their kids to dumb down for preschool.

Well, he's 20 now and music production is his Spanish!

I'm so proud of my children. What are your back to school memories?