Snowpants, Boots and Untied Shoes...OH MY! *FREEBIE*

Oh Sweet Bejeezus...it's that time of year!  We had our first "big" snow today. Granted, it wasn't much {not like my dear friends on the west side of The Mitten} but it was enough to need the whole sha-bang of winter gear.  Oh how I dread "snowpant season". 

My southern friends don't quite get this.  You see, with winter comes crazy winter gear - first grade teachers have to tack on AT LEAST 10 minutes to their morning routine and 10 minutes to their dismissal routine.  Lord have mercy on our souls. 

I've already sent three crying kids down to the lost and found for missing mittens, lent out one coat {yes, one of my little ones forgot his coat and wore a sweater to school today in our 30 degree weather}, sent another one down to the office for socks {"I forgot to wear them"}, reminded one little guy that his coat "Goes on the OUTSIDE of your snowpants not the INSIDE sweety...that's why it's so bulky" and tried to figure out whose BLACK SNOWPANTS are whose {Label, say what?} just seconds before the bell rang to go home.  AND IT WAS ONLY THE FIRST DAY OF THIS CRAZY MAKING!!!!!!!!!

So, I'm cracking my knuckles getting my fingers primed to type up my "Winter Readiness 101" for parents.  {You know number one will be PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING with TEACH YOUR CHILDREN HOW TO PUT ON THEIR OWN WINTER GEAR  as number two}. 

Can you tell I'm worked up about this!?!?

So, while I've got a ways to go in teaching my kids how to keep track of their "stuff", put their "stuff" on, and bring said "stuff" to school - I do have my shoe tying woes taken care of....

Hubby teaches middle school.  I often say "Better you than me to deal with those hormones" and he says "Better you than me to blow noses and tie shoes". Yeah, I don't do either one of those things, thank you very much.  Because we're BIG kids {who forget to wear socks to school}...

At the beginning of the year I ask my kids who are my experts at tying shoes.  Those little slices of heaven use my handy dandy vis-a-vis marker to write their names on my shoe tying list.  This works well for a couple of reasons.  1. When somebody needs their shoes tied, they look at the list, and find a go-to person 2. It really motivates those who don't know how to learn how because they are DYING to get their name on the list.

Here it is in case you're knee deep in untied shoes...

Clipart: Scrappin Doodles

Just laminate and hang up in your classroom.  I attach a vis-a-vis marker right to it so kids can continue to add their names once they've mastered this skill.  I haven't tied a shoe in YEARS!!!!

If only my winter woes were solved so easily...