Happy Saturday, everyone! Things to share with you today.

Re-entry. I have unpacked, washed and dried all of the clothing and put away the suitcases for next time. I also washed my backpack, my fanny pack, and my sneakers. I love travel but GAH planes, trains, and cabs.. Time difference is 6 hours ahead so we have been waking up super early which I honestly don’t mind if it’s just ME. If it’s me AND the kids, then 🙄

Back to School. Mood-wise I am doing well, I don’t really miss being on vacation anymore; I’ve had my fill (I know, two months of not teaching). I am slowly starting to feel the new September energy. I am looking forward to going back to work and kids going back to school. For me it’s August 28, and for the kids it’s September 5th.

We don’t have a lot of prep since my kids are still small: 1st grade and preschool. We did the school supplies hunt in our own house on Wednesday. On Thursday, L and I fished out her uniforms from last year – still fit! We will add an extra skort and a pair of pants to the rotation. Last year we got by with two pants and two skorts but one pant got a hole.

R’s situation is different: his uniforms were completely destroyed at the end of the school year last year in spite of the fact that we washed them on the regular. His shirts and pants were splattered with paint, drawn on with permanent marker, smeared with food and god knows what else. Pre-school is an active learning space! Him and I went to the Children’s Place store and picked up five polo shirts and three pant and one pair of shorts. Now he is all set for one more year of pre-school.

Lunch with R at TGI Fridays after his uniform shopping

Q4 thoughts. I have been thinking a lot about Quintile 4 that is just around the corner for us. This quintile for me can be hard and exciting since it’s Back-to-School times TWO in our household: for me and for my kids. Quintile 4 is also fall, my most favorite time of year, paired with typical anxieties of a teacher and a parent.

1. How I want to feel in Q4 professionally: I want to create a nurturing yet rigorous environment in my classroom, establish trust and expectations, and get to know my students. I need to move classrooms and get comfortable in my new space.

2. How I want to feel in Q4 personally: I want to enjoy all aspects of fall. The cooler weather, smells, feels and colors. I want to feel energized and calm, NOT frazzled or overwhelmed. Physically, I want to continue my yoga practice and re-establish my “Golden Hour” morning routine that I used to love so much but had given up.

3. What is on my wish list for Q4:

Apple picking/Gardens for Sculpture visit/ one get together with friends/ two dates with T

Self. I am happy to report that I finally- FINALLY – checked my eyes and got a new prescription. My current glasses are 5 years old! L was one when I got them. Right now I LIVE in my contact lenses but I want to transition toward wearing glasses more often. Why? I need to give my eyes a rest, and I also like the look of glasses. I got a pair in green, red (omg) and tortoise shell. Will model them for you once I get them.

I also critically looked at my closet and decluttered one Eliza J sweater dress and one Stitch Fix dress that no longer fit. But I know I can still weed through even more.

Any preparations for fall on your end? Quintile 4, any plans, intentions, goals?

Pic: the poppy dress I got in Tropea.


14 responses to “Re-entry/Back to School/Self/Q4”

  1. Coco Avatar

    sounds like a smooth back. It’s so great that you feel you don’t need more vacation, I feel like I could use another week or two. My planning follows school holidays. Now I am planning trips for the upcoming holidays. And then make sure everyone’s activities fit into calendar so husband knows when to pick/up drop off where.

    Like

  2. Lisa’s Yarns Avatar

    Paul goes back to school on 9/3. Both boys will be at my parents lake home for 2 weeks starting tomorrow. We will be there for the first week and then we head back to work and they stay for another week. Hopefully the re-entry to a normal schedule goes ok. Last year Paul started on Thursday but then we had to figure out 2 days of childcare so I think it’s better to rip the bandaid off!

    I am excited to see your new glasses! I exclusively wear contacts and only wear glasses at night so mine are several years old. I upgrade them probably every 5 years!

    Like

  3. Sophie Avatar

    I love your intentions for Q4. And nice work on all the prep! I gave in this year and topped up Eleanor’s school uniforms so she has 5 polo tops and 5 skorts (her bottom of choice), so we can never run out during the week if I haven’t done laundry! Before we had 3 of each and it was doable but I was behind on the laundry enough it was annoying. So I’m thrilled never to have to worry now haha. At least I’ll be able to hand down the polo shirts to Owen when he starts at that school in 2026. The skorts we will have to sell.

    Like

  4. J Avatar

    I love that poppy dress, it’s beautiful and you look beautiful in it.

    My daughter is an adult, so our vacations are no longer tied to kids schedules, which is nice. It’s great to be able to travel in the ‘shoulder season’, when the weather is more mild and things are less crowded. That’s the good side. This year, we don’t have a vacation planned, that’s the down side.

    I did love that back to school time with my daughter…not the money, but the clothes and the anticipation of it all. I hope you all have a great year.

    Like

  5. Diane Avatar
    Diane

    I need to schedule my eye doctor appointment soon. I’ve noticed on this last job, it was harder for me to see backstage and read my music when it is very dark, and that’s not a good thing for my line of work.

    I really loved reading about your trip. It sounds lovely. I loved your post on the school supply scavenger hunt. I should have done more of that, although the 7 year old’s class shares school supplies so I feel a little bad if I send him with incomplete packs of crayons, markers, etc. But we for sure did not need the two new sets of scissors that I bought. Why do I keep buying the kids scissors???

    I hope you have a restful week, so you start the school year energized! We start back at school on the 26th.

    Like

  6. rachelinwales Avatar

    Oh well done on your eye test! This post makes me very happy thinking about your Q4 plans. I like the idea of “how do I want to feel about X” as a way to consider Q4.

    You start school the same day as my littles. It feels far away for me right now, but I think it would feel less far if I also had a date in August like you. However, I really do need to check through my son’s school clothes and see what still fits and what isn’t completely stained. I like how dirty he gets in school because it means they’re doing lots of outdoor play.

    Like

  7. Kyria @ Travel Spot Avatar

    I love that dress, and your fancy lipstick! You’re so colorful! I can’t believe it’s already time to go back to school. I feel like this summer has flown by, and that school starts a lot earlier now than it did when I was a kid. We never started before labor day!

    I think, given your fun lipstick, that maybe the red glasses will be the ones! A little pop of color is all you need sometimes to brighten up your day. I am Ms. Boring Pants, and wear a lot of black, including my glasses, but I like living vicariously through you.

    Like

    1. Daria Avatar

      That’s funny Kyria- I think Italy rubbed off on me. The dresses are very colorful. When I went to Paris in the spring it was the opposite: very monochrome and no patterns. Still people dressed so elegantly, just different from southern Italy.

      Like

  8. Maya Avatar

    Love the dress, and the overall vibe of calm energy in this post… Have a wonderful reentry to the academic year!

    Like

    1. Daria Avatar

      Oh thanks Maya. I am feeling calm.

      Like

  9. Stephany Avatar

    Whenever you talk about teaching, you always give off such a nurturing vibe so I have no doubt you will be able to give that to your students again this year. I’m glad you’re feeling ready to be back into your normal school routine and had a great summer off!

    Like

    1. Daria Avatar

      Thanks Stephany! I want to do just that.

      Like

  10. San Avatar

    Seems like you’re ready for Q4. I haven’t made any specific plans for the fourth quarter, and I am just plugging along I guess (I don’t really think in specific time frames, but I am sure that is more normal for teachers or people with kids because a lot hinges on the school schedule).

    Also, I am not ready for fall.

    Like

  11. Re-entry and back-to-school energy – Mom of Children Avatar

    […] Back-to-school energy is here! Haircuts (for the kids and ME), uniform shopping, and, my favorite: classroom set up. I go back next week, the kids- after Labor Day so we still a while but it feels good to get those things out of the way. As for the school supplies, we don’t purchase anything. Our house already has so much of everything. Shopping our drawers first, I did a similar thing last year. […]

    Like

Leave a reply to Kyria @ Travel Spot Cancel reply