The Sewing Mom

This is it, the last week of my daughter’s summer vacation.  Next Monday, one week from today, she will be starting her first year at the junior high, entering 7th grade.  She is handling this transition much better than I am, I believe I’m just not ready for her to grow up and yet, she’s doing it anyway.  Right before my eyes.

We don’t have much planned for this week, maybe we can take in a movie or something.  She is getting her hair trimmed later in the week and thursday night we will be attending the Expectations Night at her school.  That night she will receive her class schedule, locker assignment and have a chance to meet her teachers.  She is very much looking forward to that.  I’m hoping that night will help ease my mind!

So, what are you doing this week?

My daughter and I have spent the last week and a half doing some back to school shopping. We’ve successfully purchased her some new clothes, including jeans and that’s not easy to do when we’ve just recorded our 12 consecutive 100+ degree day. We’ve also been busy buying supplies like pens, pencils and paper. The biggest and most difficult item to get was her binder and messenger bag. She had trouble deciding exactly what she wanted, but, after a few attempts, she’s got it, a nice new messenger bag that she is very happy with.

Now we’re on to the next step of getting ready for back to school. Organizing and labeling. I always like to make sure she has everything for that 1st day of school and that it’s all ready to go long before she gets on the bus that first morning. I also like to make sure that what is hers, remains hers and so I’ve always labeled everything. When she started kindergarten I used a permanent marker to write her name on everything, just the way my mom did when I was in school.  It’s great if you have beautiful handwriting, but I don’t and so it can start to look a little tacky.

Then I discovered one of my favorite inventions ever, the label maker! Oh, what my mom wouldn’t have given for one of these babies! It is so cool that even my daughter helps out by typing in her name and printing the labels. Then I peel them and place them on each item. I’ve even learned that unlike my hand printed name in my clothes (tacky), I can use the DYMO LetraTag printer to print out my daughter’s name onto DYMO’s iron-on tape. I love this little machine!

My daughter is a perfectionist, so it’s nice that she can have all the Color labels to coordinate just the way she wants them to, unlike all the tacky labeling I had as a kid. I sure do hope she knows how good she’s got it!

Every year I find myself searching the advertisements for sales on school supplies. Then, I find myself running from store to store looking for just the right items. It makes it more challenging because my daughter is somewhat choosy about her school supplies and what she wants, so I always have to make sure she is with me. Of course, as much as I love having her with me, it always ends up taking me longer and costing me more! This year is no different, except that she’s going into junior high so their are some additional items to hunt down.

I would love it if our school district would utilize the EZ School Supplies program. Through EZSchoolSupplies.com, schools can register, enter their supply lists and receive a promotional package to help inform students and parents about the program. Students and parents can then order prepackaged school supplies that are exactly what their teachers want and require them to have. Not only does it help students be prepared for class, but it helps them to be successful in school, after all, being prepared leads to a feeling of confidence. Being confident leads to success.

I was fortunate to receive a sample box of school supplies from EZSchoolSupplies.com and I have to tell you, the items in it were all first rate, quality products. These weren’t knock of brands either, they were name brands, items I would purchase if I was at the store shopping. I even love the box the supplies came in, it has a convenient carry handle and is large enough to accommodate the large size construction paper and deep enough to stack up all the folders and markers and still have room to add to it. It’s a great way to keep the supplies organized and handy.

EZSchoolSupplies.com carries all kinds of school supplies, including these:

• 3-RING BINDERS

• BACKPACKS

• CRAYONS

• ELECTRONICS

• ERASERS

• FIRST AID

• FOLDERS & FILES

• GLUE & TAPE

• KITCHEN ITEMS

• LABELS & DIVIDERS

• MARKERS

• NOTEBOOKS & PADS

• PAINT

• PAPER

• PENCILS

• PENS

• POST-IT NOTES

• REFERENCE BOOKS

• SCISSORS

• STORAGE

• WATER BOTTLES

If you’re not sure if your school utilizes EZSchoolSupplies.com, take a look at their website, type in your zip code and it will show the schools in your area who participate.  It does benefit the schools who do participate in more ways than one.  Besides helping the students to be prepared, schools who participate earn 10% of the total net sales.  It’s a great fundraiser and something all students can use.

I can’t believe it, this is my daughter’s  last full week of school, then a 3 day weekend, a 4 day week and a couple of days the following week and she’ll be done. Okay, that was a very long way to say that my daughter has less than 3 weeks remaining of 6th grade! I can tell she’s getting excited and is looking forward to moving up to 7th grade at the middle school.

I’ve really been amazed at everything the school district has been doing to not only prepare 6th graders for going up to junior high, but also to get them thinking about high school and even college. Their main message is that the classes they take in 7th grade are the building blocks for what they can take in 8th grade which then become the basis for what they take their freshman year in high school, and so on and so on. Do you know how hard it is to get 12 year olds to think that far ahead?! I have to admit though, I admire my daughter and how she is taking all of this in.

She filled out her “6 year plan” last week and turned it in to the school counselor. I wish someone had gone over all of this with me when I was 12. Instead, I felt clueless when I went through school as to what my future held. I never felt in control of my future, I think that my daughter feels in total control. I’m so happy for her!