The Stay at Home Mother

We spent the entire morning today down at Crescent Beach and the weather was absolutely perfect. We splashed in the water, ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and salty, ketchup drenched french fries from the local fish and chips stand.

And as we were headed home, tired but happy from all the sun, with sand in our hair and our sandals - I knew that this would be one of the last few days we had left before summer ends and school begins. And a drastic change in routine for my son, whose ice cream eating days are now numbered....

I am trying to get him prepared for his return to Preschool (three days per week and 2 1/2 hours long) by cutting down on the amount of sweet treats he has had over the summer - along with snacks "anytime" and "anywhere".

We are also trying to change his sleeping routine as his bedtime has been getting later and later due to the sun filled evenings which hinder his ability to go to bed when it is still light out. (And older kids can be heard out on the street still playing!). So we are gradually setting his bed time earlier by 10 minutes each night to prepare for a better time for bed when school arrives.

As well - I'm trying to make it fun and talk about it at every opportunity and have bought him some new clothes, shoes and back pack. He can't wait to show it to all his friends at school.

I want his first day back to be stress free, and full of excitement - so that the routine of school for him won't be a big change - but rather something that he can ease in to for the year ahead.