Back To School Madness

Alright- for the new parents out there- here's what you get to look forward to...by the time our babies are in school, they'll probably be asking we provide toilet paper too- UGH.

I cannot believe summer is nearly over- and I have to say I'm thrilled. Summers for me as a kid were too long and boring- and as an adult- I still loathe them. It is so hot and muggy, and it's just -blah. Kaely is beyond bored with me, and all the playdates we've tried to arrange have fallen through. So- it's that time!

Fortunately for her birthday she got quite a few nice clothing items which we've saved for the new school year. Even better, is that she hasn't gotten to be a "label" snob yet, and is open minded to the second-hand shop, Once Upon A Child, where we can get some decent stuff for half the price. Her dad got her a few essentials- at least enough to last until the cooler weather (ha!) comes in. Apparently the more colors, louder, and lights is all the rage...(and yes, it's supposed to be without laces...huh)

The clothing thing, well, is always interesting, but not too bad. She's upgrading her bicycle so we can bike/walk to school again, which may be tough in the first month or so, but good for us all. I started having to think ahead to making lunch and waking up early again. Not to mention the schedule for early bedtime (yay!) and homework... the weekdays fly by because it's so much to cram into a small amount of time.

But the madness mostly comes from the supply lists. I swear, each year gets more and more ridiculous. The 2nd Grade list is as follows:

• 1 Backpack-No wheels  (okay, no prob)
• 1 Plastic Pencil Box (recycling from last year)
• 2 Packs of Cap Erasers
• 2 Packs of 12 Sharpened #2 Pencils (I found 2 packs at the house so hand-sharpened all 24-ugh)
• 1 Box of 24 Crayons 
• 1 Box of 8 Washable Markers
• 1 Pair of Fiskars Scissors (why Fiskars???)
• 2 Jumbo Glue Sticks (or 4 Regular)
• 1 3-Ring Binder with Clear Front Cover - 1 1/2"
• 1 Package Tabbed Dividers
• 2 Composition Notebooks
• 1 Pack of Notebook Paper- wide ruled
• 1 Ream of Copy Paper (um, really?)
• 1 Package of Dry Erase Markers (shouldn't the school supply these for the teachers???)
• 1 Box of Tissues (again- really?)
• 1 Bottle of Liquid Hand Soap (tax payer dollars hard at work- school can't even provide soap)
• 2 Bottles Hand sanitizer (see above)
• 2 Containers of Antibacterial Wipes (really?? again...)
• 2 Plastic Pocket folders- 1 yellow and 1 blue
• 1 Pack of 3x5" Index Cards
• 1 Raincoat (UMMM- Huh???)

Boys:

• 1 Box of Zip Lock Bags Gallon Size
• 1 Box of Zip Lock Bags Quart Size
• 1 Box of Zip Lock Bags Sandwich Size

Girls:

• 1 Package of Baby Wipes
• 1 Pack of Black Ink Pens (again- for the teachers- really??)
• 1 Box of Band-Aids

These lists just eat at me. I don't blame the teachers- because I know quite a few of them, and many spend a ton of their own money to provide for their classroom. It's just so ridiculous. The list is pretty much taken care of, and she's ready for school to start- but I had to vent about it all. I ended up going around the house taking inventory of my old school supplies (leftover composition books), packs of pencils from a bday or holiday, an extra hand-soap dispenser I just refilled and left at that, threw band-aids into a baggie since I have a bulk supply of them, recycled her scissors and pencil box from last year... then scoured the internet for coupons and sales to pass along the rest. If it's anything like last year though- where all those supplies you purchased- often getting a particular brand, color, or style for your child- ends up being thrown into one large pot and shared by the whole class... drives me insane! 

Sigh... 10 more school- years to go for Kae, and then a full 13 for Chase- wahoo! :)