It’s the only time of the year where you can buy folders for $0.10 a piece, where you see pallets full of notebooks and loose leaf paper in the middle of aisles and where backpacks hang like decorations above the cash registers.

This year, I’m a back-to-school virgin. I have a small, simple school supplies list (that I’ll purchase using my state’s tax free weekend). I’m already making my checklists and setting the girls up for a good morning routine so school mornings flow without a hitch.

That’s right folks; my baby girl is starting pre-school this year. It’ll be an interesting transition that I’ll be blogging about as we go. She’s been in daycare or with babysitters since she was 8 weeks old so leaving her is not necessarily a new process. But the type of day she has and the type of class she is in will be a change.

This will be different for us because instead of me or daddy dropping her off before work on our own terms, we will be following the pre-school class’ schedule. School starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. Daddy can’t transport her because his hours don’t match those times so it will be my job (still embracing this stay-at-home mom thing) to pack up all three girls, drop Lil off, come home, pack up the twins, pick up Lil, and go on with our day.