This is my kid passed out on the gym floor at the end of the first week of school last year. First-week-of-school Friday does not play. Although I have many years of experience tucked under my proverbial back-to-school belt, this is a fact I manage to forget Every. Single. Year.

I mean, yeah, I remember the kids will be tired. Who’s kidding––we’ll all be tired. I also remember that the jolt into early mornings and routine and performance expectations, though slightly traumatizing to our summer-saturated souls, is kind of a welcome change from the chaos. I remember how much I enjoy a peaceful house for a season and how productive I can be without the multitude of messy minions around to undo everything I just did, only faster. But I quickly forget how much it takes out of us at first.

I forget how exhausting it is to sit and pay attention for an entire day when your body has thoroughly adapted to the carefree, laid-back schedule of summer. I forget that while I’m at home living my best quiet, nearly people-less life (#introvertproblems), they’re busy navigating the rules, relationships, and learning curve of a new school year….