Ladies Lunch!

With brother already back at school super early, Little Miss and I had plenty of time to do some girl things before heading back in for pre-planning. Since I am a teacher, she goes back to school when I do to set up my classroom, but her actual class does not start for a couple more weeks. Pre-planning is totally NOT her favorite, but more on that later…

We have a few back to school traditions for each child. There’s Mr. Dude’s Waffle House breakfast, and for LM we revived a favorite childhood tradition of my own! 

Growing up, I went to a small private school and there was only one place to buy uniforms back then (pre-online shopping! Gasp). Since the uniform shop was in Buckhead, my mom would take me and my sister to the Swan Coach House for a lovely lunch after we were outfitted with all of our uniforms. It was a once-a-year treat and we LOVED it! The Swan Coach House is an Atlanta institution, and the site of many a ladies’ coffee and bridesmaid’s luncheon—mine included. I can still remember ordering the frozen fruit salad when I was a little girl, and feeling so grown-up and posh having lunch there!

My mom and I took LM for her first visit to the Swan Coach House, and naturally she relished having a “fancy lunch”! Of course, she pretty much only ate the frozen fruit salad, but she was very taken by the lovely table setting, the beautiful bathroom, and of course the shop. She found quite a few things in the shop for herself, but she only left with a to-go box of muffins this time J

Doing special one-on-one outings with each child is something we don’t always have a lot of time to do, but they really love it so much, I really do try to make it happen whenever we can.

What fun ideas have you done for a memorable time with each kiddo?

On The Nightstand

My nightstand usually holds at least four books that I’m reading at any given time. Often this includes something new, an old favorite to re-read, some kind of prayer book, and some type of journal or planner. 

Years ago, my sister gave me a prayer book she had finished called Sacred Space. At the time I simply flipped through it, but didn’t really delve into it until this year; three years since she has been gone. How precious that book is to me, I’ll share another time. For my birthday, I received this year’s version of Sacred Space and y’all, let me tell you how much I am loving it!

For a person who has always known prayer, I have also always struggled to stay focused in prayer. This book has a prayer pattern for each day and week, with weekly themes and daily readings correlating to our liturgical calendar. Most importantly for me, there are beautifully written-yet brief-reflections for each day of prayer. I absolutely love how much I get out of using this book! I won’t say that I am now a completely disciplined meditator in prayer, but what a difference this framework makes for me!It brings a little sunshine to my day to have a clearer direction and focus for praying.

The book is published by the Irish Jesuits, and each year a new edition comes out. I’m thinking the 2016 edition might find its way into my stocking this Christmas :)

Is there something that helps you focus your prayers, too?

Back to School: Round 1

Back to school: Round 1

Are we really headed back to school this first week in August?! It’s been a fun and full summer, with lots of lazy mornings and fun adventures, and I must say I’m not quite ready for it to end. When it’s time to start a new school year, we like to celebrate the new chapter in our children’s lives with a few simple and easy things. Our Waffle House tradition began back when Mr. Dude (MD) was starting kindergarten; after the kindergarten bus-ride-along early in the morning before the first day, it seemed anticlimactic to just go home! So we went to have a special breakfast at a southern favorite, Waffle House. Now, each year on the last “school day” before school begins, MD and I go to an early breakfast at Waffle House and he can order whatever he wants.

For meet and greet day, I’m usually bouncing between volunteer duties and Mama duties, taking him to his new class, but we always make a point to choose a small gift for his new teacher to bring in either to meet & greet or on the first day of school. It’s not expensive, it gives MD an opportunity to be thoughtful, and it allows us to express our appreciation to his new teacher for all of the work I know she has already put into this class, before she’s even met them!

(As the class theme is "Rays Of Sunshine" this year--love it!!--MD helped me paint a little plaque for the classroom. It was still in progress here!)

On the big day, we love to get up early and make an extra-yummy breakfast—this year it was banana and cinnamon pancakes! The obligatory “first day of X grade” picture is taken on the front porch, the backpack is packed with a special lunch and a sweet note (but not too sweet, you know, manly still) and plenty of the most healthy snacks I’ll make all year, and then we’re off!

Since our family has one more (precious!) year in the season with one in elementary school and one in preschool, Sister doesn’t get to start school as early as Mr.Dude. I make some special plans for her so she doesn’t feel too lonely, but of course it can’t be TOO special or brother will be upset that he missed it! Today it was free time on their shared leap pad, making brownies to share with MD after school, and having a playdate with another friend still in preschool.

What do you to commemorate "back to school" time?