Dear September

I'm a sucker for you! The cool crisp in the air, the first glimpse at this year's fall fashions, daydreaming of new boots or a handbag and the beginning of a new school year. Sigh! Pretty much for my entire life, September has always been about a fresh start. I'm one of those peeps that mentally starts their "new year" in September not January. Anyone out there with me?

So, have I ever mentioned that I'm an organizing freak? Well, I am. And setting up a new classroom each September somehow always really got me off (can I say that?). The labeling, the brand new crayons, the sorting of books... All the newness and the neatness!!! Okay I'm salivating, LOL. Well, I don't get to do that this year (I'm a full-time at-home mama now), but with number two arriving REAL soon I do have a room to set up, yippee! In the midst of moving furniture around, sorting and washing and folding I'm admittedly in September heaven. The only thing missing is having all my girls around to chat and plan with (big shout out to my 89 poss).

Anyways, I digress. The point is I've been thinking a lot about September and it's new beginnings. And I'm busy getting my own little girl ready for her first school experience. All of which has me feeling the need to focus and organize... which reminded of this gem of a post we did last year about creating a calendar with your kiddo:

What Day Is It? (originally posted 9/29/08)

You probably keep a master family calendar of all the school events, after school activities and play dates that you have planned for your children, right? Why not let the sweet ones partake in the organizational fun (yes, organizing is fun) by keeping their own calendars? Teachers usually schedule a daily calendar time as part of their math program. This eensie will be your child’s way of getting some individualized calendar practice.

At the start of each month, sit down with your child and their calendar and ask a few general questions such as “How many days are in the month of September?” or “How many Monday’s are there this month?” Then talk about what’s happening in the coming month (birthdays, holidays, special events). For the rest of the month use the calendar to count how many days until important events, like grandma’s birthday, or to practice reading the days of the week. Soon they’ll be telling you on their own how many more days there are until vacation!

Now, post the calendar somewhere central so everyone knows what's on tap! Happy September!