Ready for Back to School (almost)

The start of school usually sneaks up on me and I end up scrambling to get stuff together.  This year I'm slightly ahead of the game and have got most things lined up.  

I ordered new lunch bags for the kids after reading Andrea's post on back to school.  She bought Fluf lunch bags for her kids.  I liked the design too - good size, nice sturdy zipper, and most importantly machine washable.  Q picked out his own (the camo), and I picked out an orangy-red one for E. 

See they fit the bento boxes we already have and a good sized water bottle with room for more snacks

Speaking of water bottles, I bought new ones for the kids, but they haven't arrived yet.  I know that spending good money on hydroflask water bottles is probably a mistake, but I did find ones on sale at The Last Hunt.

Cobalt for E (below), and Pineapple for Q

While I was ordering the water bottles I picked out fall coats for the boys and ordered those too (also good prices) but then I remembered that E already has a fall coat (I was only remembering he had a winter coat that needed replacing but forgot about the fall one I bought last year), so oops!! I do know Q's fall coat was getting two small as he had worn it for two years already. I got the Reima brand for both of them.

E and I picked out some t-shirts from Gap that he and Q can wear on the first day.  Everything was 50% off so we got a couple of options and they can choose on the first day.

Their backpacks are fine for now, but I think we want to get bigger ones, especially for E who has a laptop to take back and forth to school, and I presume he'll have some school work too.  I'm having a hard time choosing something so I may have to go to MEC or Sportchek and see the options in person. 

As for school itself, rather than just the accessories, we don't need to buy school supplies for the kids but I do want to make sure we have good work stations for them at home.   The last three years were not normal school years and last year I was so happy they were in school at all I sort of just let it all go and didn't pay much attention to what they were actually doing.  With E going into Grade 6, then I know we need to make sure he is on top of things, which means we need to be on top of him. I want to get a dry erase calendar for E and really make an effort to keep him on track for his assignments and projects. And if we make it a habit to check in everyday with him and update the calendar, and encourage him to use his agenda and Google classroom, that will help.  I'm not as concerned about Q, he is keen to be at school and excited for Grade 1.  We will work on his reading and writing but I know it will come together. 

We will walk to school on the first day as a family and with the other kids in our neighbourhood, and I will make our usual meal of Beefy Mac and Cheese for supper that night. 

Looking forward to a successful year with fewer interruptions and more regular activities.