Back to school

Routine.
In our little neck of Utah, ninth grade is still considered junior high. That doesn't make it any less terrifying for mother to send her child off to it. Especially AJ. This kid has a knack for getting into trouble. He seems to be missing some part of the brain that encourages you to think before you act. I'm told it is a "teenage trait", but somehow that doesn't quite pacify my trepidation. Nor does the fact that AJ was begging me yesterday… Quite literally begging, to postpone the ninth grade until he could go through with his sister… In two years.  This kid needs school more than anyone. Not necessarily for the education, he comes to that quite naturally, but for the structure and discipline.  Needless to say, I did not give into his incessant begging, as he started his ninth grade year today. The difference between AJ and Ashlyn is actually quite comical. When just comparing their educational pursuits, we have an extreme variation.

Weeks before school, Ash makes a spread sheet outlining outfits with coordinating shoes, accessories and a plan for how to do her hair. (That really happened) She makes sure we do our back to school shopping, early enough for her to take care of all of her school supplies she anticipates needing. The week before school starts, she gets her schedule and a map of the school and highlights each classroom she needs to find and decides the best route to take to maximize her time between classes. This is also the time she designates to organizing her backpack. She make sure she has enough pencils, glue, scissors, colored pencils, markers and any other school supplies she thinks she may need in the right place in her backpack and in her binder... That has been aptly tabbed, filled and organized according to her schedule. Within the week before starts we take a trip to the school and she verifies her mapping skills as she walks out her plan. The night before school starts she lays out everything she will need in the morning, showers, blow-dry's and straightens her hair, and gets to bed early. 

And then we have AJ.

The month before school starts when I ask him to go back to school shopping with me, he says "just grab me a shirt and some shorts and I'll be good", to which he quickly adds, "never mind, I can just find some stuff on Amazon and send you the link".  The week before school starts he thinks he has a month left of summer. The night before school starts he finds a pencil tucked in the side of the couch next to some popcorn crumbs and says, "hey, doesn't school start tomorrow? I think I will take this with me".  He goes to bed after 10:30 and when I wake him up in the morning he finds some clothes from the laundry couch, tucks his pencil behind ear, and climbs in the car.

Carson's back-to-school system is a good mix between his two siblings. 

What's a mother to do?

My insistence on a nutritious breakfast is the bane of my children's existence. Since Friday is the only school day that they are allowed cereal for breakfast, I am up extra early making sure I can get ready for work in time to make something suitable. I help Ashlyn with any necessary last minute organizing or getting – ready needs while AJ sluggishly goes through the morning motions, all the while Carson is sleeping soundly tucked away waiting for his wake up time.  He started school a week before they did and is already proficient at making the most of his morning.  So I have A plate of warm eggs on toast for AJ, A glass of carnation instant breakfast for Ashlyn, who can't ever eat before 9am, and some eggs staying warm for Carson who will wake up in thirty minutes.  They eat their respective meals and jump in the car after I wake Carson up and tell him I will be right back to fix his hair.  Carson eats then goes back to sleep on the couch until I get back 10 minutes later.  I fix his hair (heaven forbid if I don't) and head to work.  Thank Heavens for Heidi who gets Carson to school each morning so I can get to work on time.

And then we do it all over tomorrow.

and the next day...

and the next.