Hello Reader,

It's that time of year again. Students are heading back to school. Maybe in a classroom with an elementary teacher. Maybe at a university campus or online with college professors. Maybe around the dinner table with a homeschool mom.

However you slice it, we're leaving behind the lazy days of summer for more regimented class schedules and homework routines. And since back-to-school season can affect us even after our kids (and we ourselves) have left school days far behind in the rearview mirror, I'm devoting this week's link list to making the most of it. Enjoy!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​A Prayer for Teachers - because we need all the help we can get!
• ​Back-to-School Conversation Starters - use these questions to get your kids talking
• ​Keepsake Record - interview your kids about their current likes, hopes, and challenges
• ​Free Printable First Day of School Signs - to freeze the memory in a photo
• ​Show Yourself an Example Coloring Page - "Let no one look down on your youthfuness..."
• ​Free Printable Calendars - grab the current school year's calendar at the bottom of this post​

What I'm reading this week:

​Slacker by Gordon Korman Have you ever known a kid who gets so wrapped up in video games he is oblivious to everything going on around him? That was definitely the case for Cameron Boxer, the middle schooler at the center of Gordon Korman's Slacker. When his parents finally realize what a problem Cam's constant gaming has become, he invents a fake school club--The Positive Action Group--and installs himself as president to convince them he's turned over a new leaf. Only it was all a ruse, until students start coming out of the woodwork to join the new club, and it morphs into something bigger and better than Cam ever intended.

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 57 ​ON CHILDREN'S CHORES​ Want a peaceful, orderly home where everyone contributes? Learn how to build your kids’ confidence and responsibility by assigning daily household chores. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I finished 80% of last week's to-do list: I ✅ dropped two boxes of stuff at Goodwill, ✅ sent a new Bible memory challenge to my grandkids, ✅ dropped my daughter at the airport for her year-long trip to Europe 😳, ✅ made a daily review notebook for my own memory work, and ✅ sent a brand new syllabus to all my leather and wood craft students.

But as for ❌ purging my inbox? Hahahahaha! Not a chance. That pile has only grown since last week -- by a factor of five!

Personal goals for next week:

• decorate back-to-school tree🎄
• finish handmade ornaments for said tree 🍎
• make 6 new pillowcases for boys' room 🛏️
• hem 2 pair of pants for kids 👖
• finish last of back-to-school shopping 🛍️
• finish fall semester lesson plans for home 📋
• paint a big, pretty pot to keep our cat food in 🏺