School ready

Parents let's all breathe a sigh of relief as kids all over Australia went back to school this week. We survived the school holidays, hooray!
Rejoice in getting to palm them off to their fantastic teachers.

I hope to keep Kobe's first year of full time school low key. I just know he will be whingey tired by Friday as he adjusts to full time hours.
I won't be enrolling him in every after school activity, just a quick play with friends. Swimming lessons and life saving water awareness term 1. With a splat of drownings with kids under 5 lately I really want to hone it into Kobe the importance of water safety. It can take less than a minute for a toddler to climb a pool fence which leaves me paranoid with my lil ones around water.
As per last year, I left stationery order to the last minute. Note to parents, go first thing (8am) to avoid getting crushed in the lunchtime panic. Also bring your school list to OfficeMax so you get the quoted price not the retail price (which can be double for some items). Definitely I'm ordering as soon as the school list comes out for 2018.
I was organized with school uniforms (bar 1 shirt which I'm trying to find preloved) & found 4 pairs of pants (2 Permapleat shorts brand new with tags still on, one long pair of pants & one navy boardshorts) all preloved for $14.50 in total. Saving over $30 if I bought new. I'm hoping Kobe keeps them in great condition so can handball onto Dylan. I will be laying out uniforms the night before. And laundering mid week & weekends so we are always uniform ready (I find by hanging them wet from the machine onto a hanger it saves me ironing the shirts). I dyed his faded school hat to save buying a new one.
I picked up some Reflex sandals half price in the after Christmas sales a couple sizes too big. I found these the best casual sandal for active boys, the quality is great & lasts the whole year thru rough play. Kobe's pair from last year will be his normal everyday summer sandals (as he wore these as both school & casual wear last year).
I remember every year of school getting a new school bag (& the old one binned regardless even if still good quality) & so Kobe will be reusing his Trashpack bag which is still in good condition this year (I found it brand new at markets beginning of last year for $5, saving me $20 buying a generic school bag).
School lunches bar fruit cut up will be packed the night before. To save me rushing in the morning.
I am also allocating a day of baking when Kobe is at school to get both boys snacks organized for the week. Excess baked goods I will freeze (sausage rolls, apple carrot cake etc) so not to waste. Plus Dylan needs this day as his downtime, he tries so hard to keep up with his energetic big brother but is exhausted. I will also be continuing with bake swap weekly which saves me some baking time.
The only thing I did to get Kobe school ready was getting him to practise his reading; with books about school like Miffy, Curious George, Spot, just incase there were any nerves about going back to school. Turns out I needed worry as he "was excited to get a break from mummy" (his words lol).
I should of got him to wear him his new sandals in to save blisters which I have a feeling he will get (bad mum I am).

I would love to hear any tips on preparing your kids to school:)
Or even easy to make lunchbox snacks as we stay away from tetra juice cartons, packet cookies in our house.

Happy Wednesday friends!
Grace