10 Aug 2025 Backpacks and blessings

Posted at 5:29 PMh in Features by

By Laurie Green

There was a time when back-to-school season meant I was knee-deep in lunchboxes, permission slips and kids arguing over who got to ride in the front seat. With seven children — two sets of twins included — our back-to-school routine looked less like a peaceful transition and more like an obstacle course with caffeine, off-brand Pop-Tarts, lost shoes and a whole lotta Jesus.

But these days? I get to watch the madness unfold from my cozy grandma perch, coffee in hand, slippers on and the deep satisfaction of knowing … it’s not my circus anymore — it’s theirs. I still remember it vividly. The smell of fresh crayons. The sound of someone crying because their sock seam felt funny. The backpacks I packed, finding hidden off-brand Pop-Tarts in their favorite flavors, so we always had crumbs everywhere! Off-brand Pop-Tarts were what I called breakfast. Shoes were another constantly lost item that was never where I left them. My house was complete chaos, and somewhere in the middle of it, I learned that grace often looks like showing up sticky and sleep-deprived and saying, “Let’s try that again.”

Now, I get texts like:

— “Mom, how did you survive this?”

— “These kids are feral. Did I do this to you?”

— “Would you like these grandkids of yours for the night?”

Survive? Honey, I didn’t survive — I was completely winging it. We survived on desperate, scattered prayers with one hand while microwaving chicken nuggets with the other.

Back then, I didn’t have Pinterest or parenting influencers. I had instincts, a laundry mountain that could be seen from space, and the unshakable knowledge that God was walking right beside me — usually laughing.

And don’t even get me started on fashion emergencies. I once dropped Brittainy off for school in a sweet little winter outfit — leggings, sweater, the whole deal. By pick-up? She was strutting out in plastic high heels, a belly shirt she had “custom-painted” with markers, and a pair of shorts that hadn’t fit her since preschool. In January. I didn’t know whether to scold her or nominate her for “Project Runway: Recess Edition.”

God bless those teachers.

Seriously, watching your kids parent is comedy, karma and pure joy all rolled into one. These days, I’m the calming voice on the other end of the phone. The prayer warrior on the sidelines. 

The story-spinning, wisdom-dropping survivor of a family we built out of nothing but love, grit and “we’ll figure it out.” Back-to-school still brings tears — but now it’s because I get to watch my blessings multiply.

Laurie Green
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