back-to-school August 5, 2009

Of all the things I loved growing up about the fall, the back-to-school shopping tops the list.  I was one of those nerdy kids who loved the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the crackle of a spiral-bound notebook being opened for the first time, and cutting brown paper sacks into book covers.  Yes, that was before these spandex book covers were out.. don’t make me feel old!  The anticipation of a fresh school year was exciting to me.  New classes, new teachers.  The nausea.  The tears.  Ok, see.  It was just the new school supplies that I loved, not actually having to go back to school!

So, imagine my dismay as we prepare to dust off the beach sand and get back into the swing of things only to discover that we don’t need anything! How can this be?  Not even pencils?  Glue sticks?  Ok, ok.. we don’t need any school supplies, but surely we need lots and lots of curriculum & books, right.  What?  We don’t?  Nope.  We haven’t finished any of our books from the spring.  We are literally going “back to school.”  I really should be rejoicing in this discovery.  We have a few months left in all our subjects.  This is a blessing considering the fact that our van has been a huge drain on our finances this summer and ‘we is flat broke, brother!’

It is hard, though, seeing all the adds from office supply stores, big box retailers, homeschool supply catalogs… even IKEA, and realize that I won’t be a part of that this summer.

Well, maybe I should count my blessings.  I’ll be buying all my stuff come November.   Maybe my kids’ Christmas stockings will be full of crayons, pencils, rulers, abacuses, math manipulatives, and science supplies.  Maybe Mommy will get curriucula under the tree from Santa.  Maybe we have a new tradition in the making.

And that is okay with me.

“Dear Santa….”

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