The time has finally come. I can hardly believe it. This September, all six of my children will be in school.

Many years ago, I said I was going to host a champagne breakfast on the day that my last child goes to school. It shocks me that my champagne breakfast is in the very near future.

So this is the lay of the land. My little guy starts JK, and the others are going into grades 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8. Six kids in elementary school.

Getting them ready for this season is always a bit of fun. And by fun, I mean not fun. At all. But, being organized is a must in my busy house. Here’s what we do to get ready.

On the last day of school in June, we salvage what school supplies can be used again the following year. The pencil crayons get sharpened and other items get inspected and cleaned up. I also avoid the back to school shopping when everyone else is doing it. It’s not an August activity for me. Buying off season means you’re more likely to get the items you need without being met with “Sold Out” signs.

For obvious reasons, my kids are extremely well trained at labeling their school gear and also knowing how to hunt things down when they go missing. They pride themselves on never having lost anything to the lost and found closet for more than a few hours. And as this back to school season is upon us, I now have my last little person to train in the labeling department:

Six kids means a lot of gear and a lot of expense, so my Mabel’s Labels are my cheap insurance policy.

How trained are your kids about labeling? What have been your lost and found experiences?