Identity Crisis

Grace emerged from kindergarten bursting with new-found knowledge and skills — shoe-tying, music appreciation, reading and, at the top of her list, "loving Ms. Duff" — and by year's end I myself had learned so much that I could have written EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN GRACE'S KINDERGARTEN.

Going in, I had no idea how much I didn't know — crying mommies far outnumber crying children on the first day, you switch lanes in the pick-up line at your own risk, and there's nothing scarier than the lost-and-found pile at an elementary school.

Two missing jean jackets, a lost lunch thermos and an AWOL pair of mittens later, I've learned that keeping up with your kid's stuff is far from child's play. Along with some serious conversations with Grace about responsibility, I'm gearing up for first grade with a labeling vengeance.

Although I cherish my old-fashioned laundry marker for labeling clothes, my handwriting is far from fashionable and sew-in or iron-on labels are so much cuter. For Grace's nicer jackets and sweaters, I love the sew-in woven labels from www.charmwoven.com.

For keeping up with clothes at sleepovers, camp, and trips to Grandma's house (where cousin clothes always intermingle), I'm opting for the less expensive iron-on labels from www.namemaker.com.

For books and other items I like to make personalized stickers with my Xyron Create-a-Sticker system. And I've recently discovered waterproof labels (www.littlefingerslittletoes.net) that are great for lunchboxes, thermoses, sippy cups, and even scooters, bikes, and outdoor toys.

I also like www.lovablelabels.com for shoe labels and www.vistaprint.com and www.giggleprint.com for multi-purpose, personalized labels. And let's not forget the bag tags. Grace inspired this solution recently at the pet supply store. "Mama, can I get a tag like Buster?" she asked as I was printing up a new ID tag for our dog's collar on the engraving machine.

So we made a heart-shaped "GRACE: Buster's Owner" tag for her to wear as a necklace and another one with her name and our phone number to put on her backpack for school. While I was at it, I made a couple more for our luggage. I love these because once you make the initial investment, you'll have them year after year.

I'm finding it hard to let go of my new "name it and claim it" compulsion, as evidenced by my husband's recent discovery of the neatly labeled stapler, scissors, and tape dispenser in the home office. "Mama's treading on a sticky slope," he teased me.

Grace put it best. "Daddy, Mama just wants to keep up with her stuff," she said.

Looks like this lesson just might stick.