At Sitter, our littles went back to school this week. If we are honest, we may have had a bit of a skip in our step as they walked into the classroom. Of course, that skip in our step was because we were just happy for them to have this opportunity to be with their friends learning fantastic things all day. It had nothing to do with the nearly 7 hours (5 days a week) that someone else will spend answering their questions. Questions like, “Mommy, why do you have gray hairs?”

We don’t know about you, but it feels like the school year really snuck up on us this year. Just days ago, we were still on vacation experiencing different cultures and focusing on what matters: good food and wine. Oh wait, we meant focusing on our kids. Did we say wine? That must have been a typo.

Back to the topic at hand… the first day of school. After school drop-off, some of us started talking about past years when the first day of school meant new clothes, new backpack, and a love note tucked into the lunch box. (Of course, the lunch box was packed the night before). This year we were scrambling at the last minute to empty the backpacks still filled with “treasures” from the summer so they could be used for school. Love notes in the lunchbox? Not even a thought in our mind until we overheard other moms at school talking about the special lunches with notes they packed. So mamas, if you left out the love note, you are part of our tribe. If you wrote a love note, next time please write one for our kiddo’s lunchbox as well. It takes a village, right? We promise to take your kid out for ice cream in exchange.

To our little nuggets, we just want to say, we are not sorry that you didn’t get a lunchbox love note. We love you but were too busy making summer memories to stop until we skidded our minivan into the school parking lot. So enjoy the summer memories when your classmate in the clean clothes pulls the love note out of their brand new lunchbox.