Caring for My Chaos

I'm still not used to getting only one kid ready for the first day of school! But, here's my big eighth grader! Literally. Almost 5'7" and only 13! His sisters don't start until the 25th, which he doesn't think was fair. They start later and get out earlier. So, this year I have a senior and sophomore in college and an eighth grader. God, that makes me sound so old! The house is so quiet; I don't know what to do with myself today! Oh, that's right, there's a mountain of laundry calling my name!

It's that time again! The time of year that all the parents look forward to and all the kids cringe! Back to school. And a lot of states are doing the tax free weekends again. This can save you a bit of money, especially if you have a few kids! This is a list of when the tax free weekends are in most states, but check with your state to find out what is tax free. That changes from state to state. Like here in VA, clothing, footwear and school supplies are tax free. There are also limits on the prices. Like here, it's clothing and footwear under 100$ and school supplies under 20$. So, check with your state and get ready to do some major shopping! Arkansas August 5-6 Connecticut August 20-26 Iowa August 4-5 Maryland August 13-19 Massachusetts August 12-13 Missouri August 4-6 New Mexico August 4-6 Ohio August 4-6 Oklahoma August 4-6 South Carolina  August 4-6 Texas August 11-13 Virginia August 4-6

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So, I wasn't going to start school shopping until tomorrow, but Izzie has to work tomorrow, so we ended going today with Izzie and Bubby.

This weekend is the tax free weekend here in Virginia, so that means our back to school shopping will be this weekend!

I know most kids don't want to think about it, but that time of year is right around the corner! Especially here, our schools go back August 15! In case you don't know about it, a lot of states have tax free weekends now. This is a weekend when most school supplies are tax free. Now, I know what you're thinking, that wouldn't add up to much. But when you think about it, with clothes and shoes and all the supplies, that money can add up! And if you're shopping for computers for your college students, that really helps! I try to do as much of the school shopping on that weekend as I can. The stores usually do great sales that weekend too to add to the savings! Here is a chart of all the states- Alabama   August 5-7 Arkansas   August 6-7 Connecticut   August 21-27 Florida   August 5-7  Georgia   July 30-31 Iowa    August 5-6 Louisiana   August 5-6 Maryland   August 14-20 Massachusetts   TBD ...

Just a reminder that here in Virginia, tomorrow starts the tax free weekend! That means, you get no tax on clothing, school supplies, backpacks, etc! We will be up and early tomorrow to get in on the sales. The stores usually run some pretty good ones on this weekend, so check your fliers!

Although the kids may not be thinking about it yet, back to school is right around the corner. Here where we live, less than a month! (We go back early!) And the tax free weekends are coming up.

Today they go back to school! Yay! Don't get me wrong, I love my children dearly. But, they have had too much together time. If I hear one more argument over something stupid like "She looked at me wrong" or "She is sitting too close to me" I'll lose it! Poor hound doggy isn't happy though. He's really loved having all the kids home. He looked so sad this morning when Doodle went to go wait for the bus. But, he still has Izzie since college gets a month off. So, he won't be too unhappy. At least until she goes back to school!

For the SITS girls blogging challenge day 2, it's a back to school theme. I thought I would share the pics of my oldest of her high school career! This is her in 9th grade, her first day as a freshman in high school. Wasn't she just adorable? I actually didn't tear up when she started high school, the tearing didn't start until closer to senior year! This is her in 10th grade. I'm not quite sure what kind of pose she's doing there. I'm thinking it had to do with the fact that this was the year she started working out a lot and lifting weights. Her 11th grade first day pic was lost when one of our computers died, but this was taken early in the year that year. I don't think I really noticed how grown up she was just from 10th to 11th. And here she is at graduation. Now, she is a sophomore in college, majoring in English with a minor in Religious Studies, editor of the literary magazine and works part time. If she would stop driving us nuts l...

Here's my junior Doodle! I can't believe she's already a junior! I am feeling quite old today, as you can imagine. It's their first day of school. And they were both so excited that they were both up before I usually get them up. By at least half an hour. Isn't she adorable? And here's my tough man. He never smiles in pictures. Ever. The only time we get smiles is when we take pics without him knowing. He's a fifth grader! Next year he'll be in middle school! This just isn't right! Just yesterday these two were pudgy little babies! And then tomorrow, Izzie is moving back in her dorm! I have a sophomore in college! That's it. I'm officially over the hill. And I'm not even 40 yet!

This is Bubby in front of his 5th grade doorway. ::sniff sniff:: It was very strange going through the school since there has been so many teachers that I knew gone. Many moved to different schools and some retired. I didn't know any of the 5th grade teachers. Doodle and Izzie didn't have any of these. It was very bittersweet walking through. I did find it funny when we went to see the librarian. Every year, I volunteer with the book fair. I've done it since the girls were little. She pointed out to me that she is expecting me in February again. I asked her what was she going to do next year when he's moved to middle school? She laughed at me and said, "The kids may be moving on, but you are coming back. You didn't know that?" I thought that was cute.  Doodle is so excited, she can barely stand it. Bubby not so much. They are all registered though!

Here in Virginia, this weekend is the tax-free weekend. For those who don't know, the tax-free weekend is when you can buy clothes and school supplies and have no tax charged on those purchases. Which, when you buy for 2 or more children, really adds up. I figured I would post about some tips I have for surviving this weekend. 1. Expect it to take wayyy longer than you would think. The crowds are worse on this weekend. Wear comfortable shoes, take snacks and something for the 10 year old to play with while you are shopping for the teenaged girl. He will get bored. If you don't have a 10 year old boy, continue to next tip! 2. Have a game plan. Not a strict game plan, but some idea of what stores you want to go to and what you want to buy. Which leads me to #3 3. Have a budget. This is very important. Bubby and I are already having wars because I refuse to spend an arm and a leg on shoes for him. I swear he has Miracle Gro in his shoes with how fast he's growing. Last ...

Since we were talking about back to school sales the other day, I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the Tax Free Weekend. Most states participate in this and what it is is you don't pay tax for one whole weekend on clothes and school supplies. Now you figure that you are spending upwards of 100$-200$, that adds up! In Virginia, our weekend is August 1-3 this year. I read that Texas is the weekend of August 8. And most stores will have major sales that weekend to get you in there. I know last year, Kohl's had the Kohl's cash sale going on, where you get 10$ in Kohl's cash for every 50$ you spend. Since you have to wait to use that, I usually use it on me! I figure it's payment for shopping with the kids for a whole weekend! I have to say the boy is the easiest. Except when it comes to shoes now. He's very picky about his shoes. The girls I just have to argue with about if it's too short or too revealing! I don't think that argument is ever ...

Target is starting some of their school sales now! They have these sales going on-   Backpack with Matching Headphones – $25.00 Circo and Licensed Backpacks – $13.00 Circo and Licensed Insulated Lunch Kits – $7.00 Fashion Backpacks – $35.00 SanDisk Cruzer U Retractable USB drive with Removable Chip, 16 GB – $12.99 Buy 1 for $12.99 Get 1 For $1 Five Star Filler Paper, 100 ct – $3.00 Up & Up 2 Pocket Portfoilio – $0.50 BIC Cristal Pens – $1.00 Crayola Fine Line Markers, 10 ct – $1.25 Ticonderoga Yellow No. 2 Pencils, 24 ct – $3.00   Is it just me or does this seem early? I usually do all the school shopping in one weekend. It is easier with only 2 now. The college student usually only needs a couple notebooks, paper, pens and pencils. When do you start your shopping?