We are a few weeks into school now, and just finishing up Erv’s second week of preschool. I’m not going to lie…it has kicked my butt. My part-time job is definitely the busiest when school starts up (because I work with the area high schools), and I’ve started a new business (with Thirty-One Gifts), AND the general getting back into a school routine after the lazy days of summer is really, really hard the first few weeks.

But, we’ve survived. The kids are loving school (Ervin and Essie especially) and for the first time since Henry was in preschool, they’re getting on the bus in the morning and HAVE NOT MISSED IT ONCE. They’re ready a few minutes early even.

The afternoons, though, are a bit of a drag for them. The big three all have homework every day, and they all go to bed at 7:30. So by the time they get home from school, play for a while or watch a little TV, do homework, and eat supper, it’s time for bed.

That’s just school life, though. I try to give them time in between getting home and sitting down with their homework to relax, run around, have a snack, be kids. We don’t really do activities yet, so that’s still possible, thank goodness. Otherwise, they’re just so tired of doing work without a break.

The other night, to celebrate the fact that we have made it through the toughest weeks of the school year (can I get an “Amen”), we had a little picnic with “fancy” appetizers and a really easy (because it was still a school night), popular with the whole family supper.

Ivy helped me make a fruit and cheese appetizer tray that was completely wiped clean, basically before we even sat down. The cheese was sharp cheddar cut into fun shapes for the kids and marinated mozzarella balls for the adults, and the fruit consisted of green grapes and apple chunks (I actually might make a tray like this for our next birthday party, although it’ll have to have a lot more of everything on it!).

Supper (on a blanket on the floor in the living room) was our favorite Gluten Free Corn Dogs from Foster Farms and homemade French fries and sweet potato fries. (Essie and I both mix our ketchup and mustard together. Are we the only ones?)

It’s really nice once in a while to have a “fun” meal before everybody goes to bed and gets ready to get up and do the school thing all over again.

What kinds of “celebrations” do you have when you just want to break up the monotony of the school year?

Foster Farms sent me goodies for a Gluten Free get-together (my favorite kind) but no compensation otherwise. All opinions are my own.