BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO THE GRIND

By: Sofya Stearns

“Where did the summer go?” In a blink of an eye, the school year is upon us, and we are back to the grind. To be honest, I’m not ready, and I’ve come to find out, that neither are a lot of you moms. However, ready, or not, school and after-school activities here we come.

Since I started this column, I get a lot of questions, and here is my take on a few dilemmas we moms must face. 1. iPhones. 2. Worthwhile after-school programs. 3. Weekend fall activities.

A recent trip to Trader’s Joe, couldn’t have been better timing for this month’s column. I overheard a conversation, “Mommy, I really think I need my own iPhone.”

“Really? What for?” the mom responded.

“A lot of my friends have it.”

“Well, good for them,” mom replied. “You are only 10?”

“But don’t you want to know where I’m or check on me from time to time?”

“Well, I’m your Uber, so I know exactly where you are.”

That conversation made me think. There must be an alternative to the iPhone, and being a helicopter mom, per my friend’s opinion, of course, I would absolutely love to send my Izabella a quick text, “I love you” or “TOU” or just to check on her. So, as of a month ago, Izabella is a proud owner of Gabb watch, which is an interactive watch that acts as a cell phone and GPS device. I say, problem solved.

After-school programs you ask? Music to my ears, and a little bragging about my school would never hurt anyone. How would you like your kiddo “travel” city to city, country to country, continent to continent, discovering the world through cooking? Intrigued? Check out my monthly classes, IZABELLA’S GOURMET CHOW. Every dish is always made from scratch. We learn the language, history, geography, infamous sites, and dance of the dish’s country of origin. And if this doesn’t intrigue you, would a dance studio, with the most magical shows do? Izabella has been going to Wexford Dance Academy since she was three, and if you are a dance junkie like me, you will be blown away by the shows, music, and choreography.

Oh, time for a foliage weekend and building memories. We love visiting farms filled with pony rides, face painting, apple picking, corn mazes, and an abundance of apple pies. This is the way to live a weekend life. And, if you are like my family, we take family photos for the holiday cards, which I say, nothing is wrong with planning ahead.

So, till the next month, moms. Tell your kids, to keep up the learning. Enjoy the fall foliage, indulge in extra apple pie, and find family time on the weekends. “La Dolce Vita”