School shopping time

It's crazy, especially when you have to shop for 3 (and sometimes 4 who decides he needs something new too).
I had it in my mind what to buy, what they really needed.........
Luckily my Mom (my savior) said she'll go school shopping with me. My Mom coming along makes it a lot easier especially when I'm trying to get it done in one day (yes, I know, total procrastinator). So we head to the first store to shop for backpacks. I'm glad they're all out of the stage of buying a "character" backpack. My children are starting 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade. Now I don't remember having heavy backpacks in any of those grades, although, with times changing, so does the amount of books and work the kids get from school. Hey, I'm not complaining, I'm just saying for that reason they need a good, sturdy backpack.
I didn't give them a choice of where to buy it I just chose the best quality for the price and they chose from the colors....
Next, we go for clothes and shoes............
Okay, so I'd like to know who first came up with the idea that kids need to get new clothes to start school. It's been a tradition that has been going on for a long time (I should know, I remember needing to have a new outfit for everyday of the first week of school at least).
A positive thing about living out here in the valley is that it's too hot to start school in anything but t-shirts, shorts, capris, or skorts.
Having to buy for the three of them, I told them "okay, you can pick out 2 shirts each, and a pair of shoes". We still need to go through their shorts to see if they actually need any.
The boys love to shop for t-shirts. They love to get the ones that have comments on them. Anything that talks about video games, sisters, or school works for them. They read all the shirts, laughed, and then chose their favorite two (of course they know they can share them so it's like having an extra two).
Off we go for Mom Jr. She's transitioning slowly from a little girl to a tween and believe me I'm in no hurry to have her change but at the same time I don't want to interrupt the process, I just want to welcome it slowly together, baby steps, so that both her and I are comfortable with each new step.
I show her the "cute" undies, the ones that don't come pre-packaged, the ones where she can actually choose different styles and designs. I myself, was never given that option. She liked choosing different designs and styles. I had her try them on to make sure we get the right size. Now my daughter takes after me when it comes to germs "Mom do I have to take off my underwear first?" "No, just try them on top". Off she went to try them on and I was choosing a bigger size just to make sure. As I was walking towards the dressing room I passed the under shirts and then the "trainer" bras. Okay, maybe this is too much info. for some but my daughter is entering the 5th grade, is she ready for major changes in her under garments? No, but I myself would like it to be a slow, smooth transition for both her and me.
I grab the smallest ones and take them with me. I enter the dressing room and tell her "here try this size in underwear also, oh, and try these too". I throw over the little training bras. I here her grunt. "Mom, I don't like these things". "I know but eventually you're going to need them, just try them on and let me see".
I remember the episode in Sex and the City when Miranda needed to find a black bra to wear to her Mom's funeral. She never had that type of relationship with her Mom, helping her find the right sizes of such things. That wasn't going to happen here.
She trys them on, shows me, and I tell her "see they fit you perfectly". "It's just a few for you to use and get use to". "Okay, Mom but I'm still going to wear my under shirts". "That's fine".

Yahoo!!! We both made it through her first real experience of trying on something new that will eventually be used all the time.
I thought it would make me sad, my only baby girl, changing......you know what? It's a new stage that I can handle and that's okay.
We go on and she picks two new shirts, she doesn't see anything else she likes (okay, yes, I might just buy her more, but she doesn't have anyone to share clothes with)
We meet the boys and Grandma in the shoe department and the boys (all of them) are having such fun deciding on what shoe they want. Jr. tells me "Mom, I didn't think shopping was going to be so fun". I told him "yeah, well when your shopping for yourself it's lots of fun!". My boys (especially Jr.) tried on all types. Eventually the chose a pair each and of course J chose a pair too with Grandma and Mom Jr.'s help.
We put it all on hold, knowing the next day our discount would work along with their sales.

I went back on my own to the store while the boys went swimming with their Dad and Mom Jr. was at dance. As the woman was pulling out the items on hold I was shocked into reality. My children are growing up. She pulled out the shoes and I thought, wow! their shoes look big. She was checking the sizes, and going about her normal cashier duties. She pulled out J's shoes and said "awww, so small". "Yeah, they're cute", but hey, what about the other ones? I see, they have reached the not-so-cute stage. They were kind a big, even I thought "are those the right ones? You must have me mistaken with someone else with big boys". Nope, they belonged to me.
I walked out of their spending a lot but less than I thought especially for 4 children.

School's starting, another year, another grade, another video I'm going to have to watch for a 4th and 5th grader...more physical changes, more confusion, more learning (for them and me).
As I take a deep breath and start to think how easy it was when they were little.
Point being, we, as parents always seem to think every stage our children embark on is a hard one, rolling over (can't leave them on the bed), crawling (they don't want to be held now or stay in one spot wherever we're at), walking (forget it, it's over, gates everywhere, running and chasing is the name of the game), talking (couldn't wait for this, once it starts, when do they stop or even just take a breath?), running (grab em'!).............................
You better hang on tight Parents because from now on they just keep going.

Enjoy all the stages your children go through, embrace them (believe me, I know they're hard, if you approach them the right way together they don't have to change who they are at the age that they are). Let your children enjoy every new stage they come upon and together it'll be a lot easier (this is at least my approach on the changes my children will be experiencing).

Just a Mom getting ready for a new year.................