Back in 2006, my friend Tempe shared her idea of embroidered shirts to commemorate her kids’ first day of school. Because I loved the idea, we jumped on the wagon. Meredith’s first day of preschool was on August 16, 2006. She didn’t yet wear glasses, she could barely write her name, and she had no idea how to read.
On August 15, 2007, she attended her first day of pre-K. She could then write her name, she could see (!!!), and she was starting to turn down the tantrums and make friends.
On August 18, 2008, Harper went to preschool for the first time. She had been waiting for this day for YEARS. (I have never seen cuter cheeks, by the way.)
That same day, Meredith started kindergarten—minus some teeth, plus an awesome pair of glasses.
AND, here is my big mistake. Meredith started the first grade on August 13, 2009. I hadn’t yet picked up the shirts, so she decided to dress as “a rock and roll girl” for her first day. (Her shirt that year was navy blue with yellow embroidery. I’m kicking myself for not having a photo. Get past it. Get past it. Get past it. Repeat and fade.)
On August 17, 2009, Harper showed her freshly cut layers at pre-K. (She’s still mad about that haircut. She STILL says bad things about Salon Vicki.)
Harper’s first day of kindergarten and Meredith’s first day of second grade was on August 16, 2010. This was the day that I dropped them off at school, and suddenly found myself faced with nearly seven hours of free time. Seven hours that I spent mourning my marketability and counting down the hours until I could nab a spot in the pick up line.
Yesterday morning we went and ordered the shirts for this year. It’s Meredith’s sixth shirt and Harper’s fourth. I have a dream of someday making a quilt out of all of these t-shirts, but deep down I know that will never happen. Because I have no idea how to quilt. Also, I tend to lack tenacity. But it sounds good, right?
Not long ago, someone asked what I do for a living. My response to this is nearly always “I’m a stay at home mom.” (It’s really difficult to explain freelance editing and monkey publishing side jobs.) Can you call yourself a stay at home mom if the kids are at school while you are at home? I suppose I need to start redefining myself yet again.
(Weird side story: Every time we go to the embroidery store, we order The Same Exact Thing. We’ve been going to the same place for SIX years, yet every single time the lady acts like she has to do the math and asks something like, “So this year we’re at Class of 2022 and 2023?” Every year I laugh at the thought of her inadvertently implying that my kids weren’t bumped up to the next grade. And then she doesn’t understand why I’m laughing and I don’t understand why we have to go through this every single year. And then she gives the girls red suckers, and all is well.) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
I’m curious/excited about the colour choice for this year…alas and alack, my kids will not be participating in such a tradition because: a) I’m not that organized and b) they don’t like to dress alike. We may be doing thematic clothing though…we’ll see. There will definitely be the “first day of school picture” though!
poodie quilts…
Would you please stop posting pictures of your children where we can see that they are growing. up. so. damn. fast. It ages us all. That and I can’t believe it’s time for them to start school again. What happened to this year?!? Wait! Where am I? I might have early stages of dementia.
Your children are the cutest.
Harper, that thing with Salon Vicki? Get past it. Get past it!!
I say that I’m a freelancer and that I work from home. When they ask what I do I just tell them the truth: I copy edit, proofread, and project manage. That’s when I get the strange looks. So then I simply say I work on novels AND textbooks. A Gal Friday for books, if you will.
Even after all that, very few people understand.
Your kids, especially in those shirts, are adorable!
When people ask me what I do, I usually reply “I don’t.”
Because once I say I’m a stay at home mom, that’s what they think anyway. Might as well beat them to the punch.
Ooooh. I like Kait’s response up there! ^
The kiddos are absolutely cute-iful in their shirts. Thank you for giving me yet another idea {that I may or may not actually act on}.
There’s some company that makes quilts out of sports t-shirts/team t-shirts…I would imagine they do it for these cuties too.
I still say stay-at-home mom…it’s easier than after-school and summer care mom.
There’s nothing wrong with “Domestic Goddess”, you know… cute shirts!
I will totally make that quilt for you!!!
I struggle with the question, too… I think you should say you’re a knitting blogger mom. Then walk away. I still say stay-at-home mom, too, though… my daughter is also in the class of 2021! (Luckily not 2022 yet.)