Back To School Eve

Last night was our 4th Annual Burns Family 'Back To School Eve' dinner. It's a tradition we've been doing ever since our firstborn started school. I love it for two reasons. One - after the FUN that is Summer...we want our kids to grow up looking forward to school starting again. The first day of school shouldn't be something to dread, or an "end" to the fun. By turning Back To School into an event with an "EVE" (think Christmas Eve)...it makes it so going back to the classroom is something to anticipate and celebrate! Two - I have found this family dinner is a great way to take away those "first day jitters." Even for our oldest, who will be in the third grade this year, the first day is always a little daunting. Will I like my teacher? Will have friends in my class? Where will I sit? Who will I play with at recess? All these questions are talked out and worries put to rest around the comfort of the family dinner table. Everyone realizes, being excited and nervous is normal!

The past three years, our Back To School Eve decorations have been very classic and vintage. So, this year, I wanted to punch it up a bit. Once I knew what our Family Theme was going to be...the color scheme sorta fell into place all by itself. Our celebration was very COLORFUL! Roy G Biv colorful to be exact.

I set the table with the same, old lace tablecloth I use all throughout the Summer and used three lengths of ruffled, rainbow crepe paper for a table runner (just run the crepe paper through your sewing machine with the stitch length set as long as it can get and it ruffles right up) I placed Alphabet flashcards (these are always at my dollar store) in order, down the middle of the table as well. For centerpieces, I put white dahlias in little galvanized pots and added rainbow colored, yarn pom-poms, I had hot glued onto wooden skewers, to the arrangements for FUN! Sprinkled around everything else was silver star confetti and Bazooka bubble gum. And lots of votive candles, of course. 

Part of our tradition is to come up with a new family theme every year. For the 2012-2013 school year, our theme is "Be Bright." The turquoise and yellow windows hang outdoors year round. So to "brighten" them up for our dinner, I made a rainbow felt bunting and spelled out our theme with silver glittered chipboard letters.

At dinner, we talked about how we can each Be Bright, both at school and at home, and how "Being BRIGHT" can have more than one meaning. We discussed finding opportunities to "be the Rainbow in someone else's cloud." (Inspired by the quote by Maya Angelou). And how being compassionate, and shining God's love, is just as important and rewarding as being smart!

Each kid's place was set with a chalkboard dinner tray (I found a set of 3 ugly green trays for $1 at the Goodwill and spray painted them with chalkboard spray paint!) and their own rainbow chalk. For "favors," each child received a felt Apple bag filled with torn up book pages, a glue stick, pencils, erasers, bubble gum, a pencil sharpener and a mini highlighter.

Part of our family tradition as well, are the CROWNS! Each year, I make the kids different ones. This year, I used the foam ones you can get at Michael's, in their $1 bins, as a template, and covered them with felt in rainbow shades. Then I zigzag stitched around the outside edges in contrasting colors and added some ric-rac, school-y charms, buttons and bling!

Wyatt thought the traditional crown shape looked too "princessy" and he opted for just a rounded (upside down visor) crown instead. I think it looks a little random, but he was happy...so me too! 

Each year, we go around the table and discuss things the kids are anticipating in the upcoming school year - as well as ways they think they can live out our Family Theme. 

Megan is looking forward to 3rd Grade because that's when they start Science on a regular basis. She is excited to see who else is in her class. And happy, because 3rd Graders get to ride their bikes to school. She thinks she can Be Bright by being nice to new kids at school and reading everyday.

(It's getting dark outside! And my phone was all I had to take pictures. Boo.)

Molly is looking forward to 2nd Grade because she likes who her teacher is going to be. She is excited to do her Endangered Animal project. She thinks she can Be Bright by helping someone on the playground if they get hurt and always following directions. 

Wyatt is looking forward to Jr Kindergarten because this year his classroom is "upstairs" (translation = only cool, big kids get to have classrooms upstairs). He is excited to ride bikes and dig for treasure in the sandbox. He thinks he can Be Bright by being a good listener and a good sharer. 

We ate outside. A final farewell to the lazy family dinners of Summertime. For dinner we had build your own burgers, rainbow fruit kebabs, and baked zucchini fries

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For the kids' drink, I filled their glasses with rainbow ice cubes (made with Kool Aid) and then topped it off with 7-Up. The grown up version = champagne with rainbow lifesavers. YUM!

For dessert we had Rainbow cake in a jar with sparkler candles!

Finally, I really wanted to come up with a way to encourage our kids to "Be Bright" throughout the year.  Each of them was given a wooden treasure chest at dinner and allowed to color it. Over the next few months, if one of them SPYS someone in the family "Being Bright," then they come to me and ask for an apple and a marble. They write on the apple how the person was Being Bright and present it to them with a marble. Once their treasure chest is full of marbles, they win the right to pick what we do as a family on Sunday Funday. 

It's my hope this will make "Being Bright" FUN, and teach our kids to be aware of each others' actions as well as learn to encourage and praise each other.

After dessert, the kids blew out the candles and helped clear the table, changed into jammies and made it into bed at a decent hour. (This earned them their first marble!) When I kissed them goodnight, I couldn't help but feel Full. Content. At Peace. Back To School Eve has become one of my favorite family traditions...and I think I've grown to need it as much as the kids to. To calm my nerves and settle my woes. To wrap my brain and heart around the FACT that they are, yet again, another year older!

Looking Back

CLICK HERE to see all our past Back To School Eves

Back To School Eve

Tuesday night was our Annual "Back To School Eve" family dinner party. It's a tradition I started a few years back when the girls were both going to be in preschool for the first time. Matt and I really like to make this night fun and exciting. We want our kids to grow up knowing we thing school is important, respected, and something to celebrate! I also think it's a great way to take away those first day jitters.

Last year's decorations were very neutral, classy and vintage. So this year I decided to get a little more colorful and whimsical, but still keep the vintage. 'Cause I love vintage! Here's what I came up with.

I used yellow chevron fabric for the table cloth and made a table runner out of old book pages. I just sewed a zigzag stitch down the middle of a bunch of pages positioned every which way. It was easier than it looks! For centerpieces, I took hardcover books off our shelves and tied them with twine. I also filled turquoise Ball jars with white roses from our yard and some sunflowers. Then I put apples and votive candles around the books and flowers. 

The turquoise and yellow window frames hang outdoors year round. To "school" up our normal look, I made a burlap bunting and added alphabet flash cards with clothes pins.

I glittered a World Map with our Family Theme for the 2011-2012 school year. Part of our tradition is to come up with a new theme every year. These next 9 months, we are excited to focus on the sentiment that Being You goes hand in hand with Believing in Yourself! 

Each person's place was set with a yellow cloth napkin tied with alphabet bias tape and a #2 pencil. I printed our menu onto old library cards and set them on the napkins.

For "favors" each child received a black and white Composition book and a cello bag filled with cut up book pages, a glue stick, erasers, taffy, and a little vintage toy. 

Part of our family tradition as well, are the CROWNS! Each year, I make the kids different ones. I went with felt again this time, since the kids loved them so much last year. 

Each year, we go around the table and discuss things the kids are anticipating in the upcoming school year - as well as ways they think they can live out our Family Theme. (Notice everyone has wet hair, as I had to drag them out of the pool to eat dinner. We've had a heat wave this week!)

Megan is wondering who will be in her class. She is very excited to have the same lunch and recess times as her sister and is looking forward to making a diorama and going on field trips! She thinks she can best "be Megan" by being a good friend to everyone.

Molly hopes she'll get the same teacher as Megan had last year. She is also excited for field trips and looks forward going to the computer lab. She wants to do cheer after school with Megan and wonders if 1st grade homework will be harder than Kindergarten. She thinks she can best "be Molly" by working hard and being helpful to her teacher. 

Wyatt is excited to play on the playground! He's still grasping the concept that it will be the same school - but a different classroom and teacher and probably some new friends. He says he thinks he can best "be Wyatt" by doing art (this kid loves to color!)

(Yes. I let him paint his fingernails. HIMSELF! His toenails are turquoise blue.)

For dinner we had Grammie Susan's lasagna with green salad and garlic bread. 

And since I can't eat lasagna without cold milk, I thought the glass milk bottles went perfect with our old school theme!

(they are just recycled Starbucks frappachino bottles with the labels soaked off!)

After dinner, as the kids blew out the candles, I was both happy and sad that another year had commenced. It's so fun to watch them grow, but it does seem to be going by fast!!

CLICK HERE to see all our Back To School Eves

Back To School Eve

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the girls. Megan to First Grade and Molly to Kindergarten! Wyatt starts his first year of preschool in just a few days. All three kids in school. This is a milestone for me as a mother. As well as for the kids. I'm still taking it all in.

So tonight, we had our annual "Back To School Eve" formal family dinner. It has become one of my favorite, Burns Family traditions. I decorate, set the table with our good china, and make a yummy meal. We all dress up (at least us girls do!), drink out of fancy stemware, and talk about the up coming school year. I love that our kids will grow up knowing Matt and I think school is exciting, fun, and something to celebrate! As well as important, respected, and something to celebrate!

A couple years back, I was first inspired to start this tradition by NieNie. (She's quite inspirational, that girl.) One of the things I LOVED about the Nielson's Back To School Eve Dinner, was that they came up with a "family theme" for the upcoming school year. We've done the same ever since.

(Like the wreath I made out of pages from one of my bookclub books?! I followed THIS tutorial. LOVE!)

The bookpage wreath inspired a vintage, antique, cream and white theme to the rest of the decorations I made. I've been wanting to try making tissue poms for since...EVER! And a post this past week on AndersRuff inspired the fabric garlands. How FAB are these decorations? I love them all!! Total cost = $8.98. The garland was made out of a sheet set I got at the Goodwill for $4.99. The tissue poms were made out of a jumbo pack of white tissue from KMart that cost $3.99. I think this is the definition of BANG for your BUCK.

Last Back To School Eve, I made Megan and Molly's crowns out of paper. So this year I decided to make them out of felt. It was fun making a "boy" version too! Last time he was too little...and he wasn't going to school yet!

When I was at the Goodwill, thrifting for sheets and lampshade frames (that's a whole 'nother party coming up!) I came across several odd candlesticks. I grabbed them up and used a can of RustOleum Antique White to make them all uniform. I love how they give height and character to the ordinary votive candles on our table.

Dinner was Grilled Flank Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Mesclun Salad, Herbed Biscuits, and Corn on the Cob. Cause it's still Summer. And Summer is all about Corn on the Cob!

And we had a blast eating it! Seriously. Good food makes everything okay.

Hence why I run. I miss you KimmyD!

We went around the table talking about what each kid was excited about, worried about, and curious about concerning the upcoming school year. We also talked about ways the kids thought they could "Stick With It!"

Megan and Molly are excited for Daisies, the school play, walking to school, and lunch recess TOGETHER!

Wyatt is excited to ride bikes and play with his friend, Owen, at school.

Dessert was Cupcake Cake!

My girlfriend Libby gave me this awesome cake pan for Christmas last year, and this was the first time I used it. The kids LOVED it! It turned out so cute. Thanks, Libby!

At the end of the night, as we cleared the table and went inside to plan outfits and lunches for the next morn...I couldn't help but snap a few more pics as it got dark and the candles really began to cast a glow.

It was a beautiful evening, fun filled family time, and a wonderful way to say Goodbye to Summer!