Yea! Back to school

On Monday my kids start school. My 11-year-old son begins fifth grade. My six-year-old daughter starts first grade this year.

Jeeze, what do I have left to do?

Shopping for school supplies. We've got an awful lot of stuff around the house already, such as crayons and pencils. I thought about just scooping up handfuls of loose crayons and putting them into plastic baggies, but after consultation with a mother of a little girl decided I have to buy a new box for mine. Social suicide issues.

I think my son can get by with leftover crayons, boys don't care about that kind of thing. I hope.

But I think shopping is the least of my problems.

First of all, I have to reset bedtime. No more staying up with Daddy to watch TV. That's going to be tough. They don't like going upstairs to sleep alone when Daddy is in another part of the house. I need far less sleep than they do, which means I usually wake around 4 pm.

Bath time! No more letting it slide because they were swimming at the Y and had a shower after getting out of the pool.

Homework. Every evening, around the kitchen table. Play with your friends after it's done. Or definitely before evening TV/video games.

Dinner time, likewise. Every night, on time, and not bachelor-style in front of the TV.

And speaking of TV, there are some words and expressions that have crept into their vocabulary that I don't want repeated in the hallowed halls of academe.

Darn it! At least my daughter prefers to watch The Disney Channel.

Dressing for school. Double darn it. I know schools seem to tolerate sweat pants and T-shirts in class, but I don't like it one bit - and I'm sartorially challenged myself. Slacks and shirts kids.

We're not just starting school, we're starting a whole new way of life.