August 25, 2008

Back to School Breakfast & School Supply Traditions

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So today was the day... back to school for the bee hive. And what better way to start back to school than with a breakfast taco in your belly? Aside from my odd child that had pancakes instead.

Here are the pictures from our FIFTH annual "BSB: Back to School Breakfast". Just look at that taco. Crispy chunks of bacon with NO FAT (already cut), scrambled eggs, cheddar-jack cheese, home-made pico de gallo and salsa... Thank heavens I brought home extra tacos for tomorrow!

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Every year we start our school year off with a yummy meal and a review of our goals from the previous year. We like to grade ourselves on each goal (spiritual, academic, and otherwise) and we sort the goals in order of worst grade to best grade - adding a few other items to our list if we can think of an area we need to improve. This year we all had quite a few Fs (and Zs, for that matter - on a scale from A-F, a Z means we dismally failed at our goal!). So we'll have a plump list of things we need to work towards as the school year continues. Even mom gets graded... everyone has goals. I like to grade myself in front of the kids so they know that it isn't just them who are working hard each year to grow and learn. They enjoy snickering at me when I give myself an F, too!

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I create a spreadsheet with these goals each year in Excel and keep it handy in my school binder - which has had a complete overhaul this year. I got tired of carrying that huge thing around and I sliced it in half by breaking it in to two binders and getting rid of some fluff. Now my school binder is separate from my personal calendar and dayplanner. Makes for a lot lighter trip to the library! Or to your favorite breakfast taco joint!

After we eat our 'BSB' each year, we always follow it up with a trip to buy brand new school supplies. I'll throw in a pack of stickers for fun... and let them get more supplies than I would any other time of the year to make it special. I caved and let Kaden get a protractor this year (even though I have no idea if he'll actually use it!). Thirty dollars isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, but to my kids it is like Christmas in the office supply department. The kids come home after we splurge and are thrilled to help me clean out their school boxes and replace all the old things with their new 'stuff'. I find this is a very easy way to get them enthused about the new year. And somehow math isn't as painful when you are using a sparkly new pencil. They help me sort their folders and pick one for each subject, fill their binders with crisp notebook paper, clean out their supply boxes, throw out the pencil shavings, and help me get all their new curriculum books put up properly.

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Morgan even went one step forward and cleaned out my supply cabinet. Woohoo!

We had a few other things we needed to get done today, but mom had a pregnancy fatigue melt-down after lunch and Kaden ended up with a migraine. I let them take a nap after we finished chores by 4pm. Morgan read in bed with us lazy sickies until Daddy walked in the door. I feel much better knowing that our schedule, supplies, and subjects are ordered and ready for tomorrow. Hopefully, when we actually start hitting the books in the morning, we'll have the positive attitudes that we prayed so hard for today.

Do you have a back to school tradition that makes this time special for your kids? I'd love to hear about it. We're doing our 2nd Annual 2nd-Day-of-School PE-in-the-Pool tomorrow! We started this last year after moving in to this neighborhood. My kids asked about it today, but mom just couldn't muster the energy to take them.


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22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, what an imspiration! I love traditions.

We need to start some...(sigh)

Anonymous said...

LOL Inspiration...man, this Advil PM is kicking in!

Anonymous said...

How fun! That wasn't Chipotle, was it? Do they do breakfast?

Sisterlisa said...

I'm not sure we have an actual tradition for the first day. I guess I'll have to come up with one though. I have a few days to think about it. We officially start on Sept. 1st.

Four Little Penguins said...

Since we are still new at this, our traditions are barely worthy of the name.
But we had a Back to School Bash. And we took school pictures on the first day of school. And we weighed and measured all the kids as well. I love traditions!

Mrs. Darling said...

Loved this post. The breakfast idea for the first day is wonderful. Kids do thrive on traditions like that.

I wish I was ready for our school year. Unfortunately we are not up and running yet due to summer babysitting jobs and canning season.

Anonymous said...

Poor Kaden! Did you know he has two common migraine triggers on his plate? Aged meat (bacon)and Lechitin (In eggs)...oh make that three, if that's not real syrup on his pancakes he likely had high fructose corn syrup in the pancake syrup. Not saying all or any of those are his triggers, but it's worth mentioning.

Hope he's better today.

Anonymous said...

Each girl chooses a special outfit to wear and their favorite book to hold to get a school picture taken. We stock pile school supplies while they are super cheap (for example, .22 for a box of 24 ct. crayola crayons, .05 notebooks, .88 crayola markers, etc.) That way I shouldn't have to buy any more the whole rest of the year! I always go rather slow the first day, just the basics, and try to fit some fun things in too. We also write a short paper on their favorite thing they did this summer, and they draw a picture too. I remember doing that in "real" school on the first day. Your traditions are great =)

Sprittibee said...

Hope you get to feeling better Nikowa! :)

Dawn - Nope, if I told you where I got those tacos, I'd have to kill ya. It's a local joint that I couldn't live without.

Sisterlisa - Traditions with me are usually borrowed from elsewhere. I love them, so I like to read about others' traditions and incorporate them myself. This idea probably came from someone on my KONOS email loop back when my kids were tiny. I don't remember for sure, but I thought it was great and started doing it!

Four Penguins - We had a party one year when we were in Arkansas. It was fun. The kids threw water balloons and had relay races. We usually measure and weigh them each year, too - I put all that info in the front of their journals along with a photo that I take of them holding fingers up for a grade! ;) I love traditions, too.

Mrs. Darling - Our garden was so small that canning won't be presenting me any obstacle this year. :)

Sheri - Wow, I had no idea I was sending my kid into headache-land. I'm certain that wasn't maple syrup. The strange thing was that Kev came home with a headache last night, too. We often get sinus pressure headaches with weather changes. He's feeling fine. I gave him some children's Motrin yesterday and let him sleep it off. He'll be having healthy cereal this morning for breakfast! ;) Since we usually eat out during school for breakfast only once or twice a year! LOL

Traci Best said...

I also am so inspired by your tradition! This is our first year (and we started in June) so I will have to file that away in my head for next year!

I heart breakfast burritos too!

Traci

Kelly @ Growing.Learning.Playing. said...

You are just such a fun mom! Maybe I will be like you when I grow up. :-)

And oh man, that breakfast taco looks like heaven for this almost-read-to-give-birth mama. YUM!

Anonymous said...

That taco looks so super yummy. I'm jealous!
We need to get together for Chipotle one of these days. MMMMMMM.
Good luck this year! All these kids going back to school is putting me into a flash card kinda mood.
And jeez, you've got some good lookin' kids :) Widdle Bee I'm sure will be no exception :)

Anonymous said...

Yummy looks good. Hope your school year is a good one! :)

Erika said...

We weren't able to do it this year, but last year when we started "school" we had a back-to-school party. Invited a friend over for homemade pizza and homemade pudding. I should have done it this year, but being in limbo didn't help!

JodyJ said...

I came across your site doing a search for KONO's blogs. Your site is awesome, I love all your ideas and traditions that you share with your kids.
This is my first year homeschooling my two boys, we are using kono's. I noticed you mentioned you were pregnant, well I am also and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea. Anyway just wanted to say I very much enjoy your blog and look forward to reading and gleaning more!

Anonymous said...

My kids look forward with eager anticipation to their first day of each school year. We have a school supply treasure hunt in the back yard :) I hide all the new school related goodies and they take off with their bags to collect. I always add in a little treat (like a container of mini M&M's) and a book they would like. They spend a good thirty minutes going thru and organizing their new supplies in their pencil boxes. This year, since we have loads of new things to do every day because of dyslexia & auditory processing problems, we spent the rest of our first day school time just being introduced to the new items in our schedule. Next year, we may have to add in a yummy breakfast at IHOP ;)

Kathy D.

Jacque Dixon said...

YUMMERS!
I think I have been inspired... the Big 4-0 tomorrow, and I think we should go over to Chipolte's. Waddya think??

:D

Great post. Thanks for inspiring! In the homeschool planning and organizing dept. too!
HUGS!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the pregnancy! Having that third one is a hoot. :)

The tribute to Marsha's son made me cry all over again. You did a good job.

Hugs,
Amanda

Anonymous said...

Good Job! :)

Tricia @Hodgepodge said...

I agree that Math is not as dismal with a new, sparkly pencil! What fun to load up and go get new school supplies on the first day. And breakfast tacos - now we just might have to try that!

Marci Goodwin said...

Ever since kindergarten, my daughter and I have had a mommy/daughter lunch at a local tea house on the first day of school. She is in 4th grade this year. This year my son is starting kindergarten and he asked if we could have a mommy/little man lunch....at Wendy's so he can get a frosty. I think my hubby can do that lunch!

Sprittibee said...

:) Great idea. I would definitely take him up on a Mommy-boy date, though...

 

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