School Time!

This pic is last year the 1st day of school for Jax!

So it is that time of year again! This year my big boys will both be in school all day long! I have been having some anxiety about it, because I love being with them! We have our moments when everyone is ready to get back into a normal routine, but the truth is I hate not having them with me during the day! I hate not being able to protect them, watch over them, help them if they fall down, and so on! I don't like giving up that control, so this is where my faith in God is a constant source of strength during the school year! I have to lay it down at His feet every morning and trust and know that He has my kiddos in His hands all day long!! Oh, it is so hard being a momma, especially when this momma likes to be in control!

So I like to do a few things to get our hearts and minds ready for school! Some are just fun little things to help my boys get through their day and some are just times for our family to seek and pray for the coming school year together!

Our Countdown to School!

Back 2 School Countdown!

I make a countdown for both of the boys on a poster board! Each poster board has 7 prayers and verses that I have been praying over the boys for the whole year. It also has 7 numbers that they tear off every morning the week leading up to the first day of school. So each morning or night they tear off a number and then we all sit as a family and pray over each boy the topic that is on the paper! The different prayer topics are; Praying for their Teacher, Classmates, Protection, Wisdom and Knowledge, That they would be a light for Jesus, Strength for their long days, and so on. It is a great way to focus on the Lord and His promises, and for me to daily turn it all back to Him!

Lunch Boxes

Everyday for lunch I put a fun little note in their, but I thought I needed to do something more, like a little pick me up! So I thought of putting a funny pic that was taken during the summer. I figured it would be a fun memory for them to think about and talk to with their friends, and it would also be something that if they were having a bad morning, my hope is that it would give them a good rest of the day!

Pictures in their back packs

On a piece of paper I put a pic of our family and then I put a few of our favorite Bible verses on the paper. I tell them any time they are having a hard day or feel sad, to look at the pic and verses and remember that I am praying for them and that God is always with them. I also feel like covering them with as much of His word as I can will keep the enemy far from them! I want them to be soaked with His word in a public school.

Happy 1st day of School for my Jantzen last year!!

Yummy after school snack!

On the first day of school I decorate the house and make a big deal of it to help get rid of those first day of school jitters! The boys love it! I always have a fun snack, like cupcakes, ready for them when they get home! I love making them feel special!

This year I found a really awesome key chain that hooks on to their back packs that also has a clip on it for their lunch boxes to clip on. The key chains both have a cross on them. Again, I want it to be a constant reminder that God is with them and He will always help them!

So there are some of my traditions for school! I think it really helps me cope with it more than it does for the boys!! =) Father protect them guard over them, use them, bless them in mighty ways this year!!