Thursday, August 28, 2008

I'm Exhausted, I'm Broke, and I'm Counting Down The Days

My, my... what a flurry this week has been! I thought for sure that this week would feel about 538902874982433490873 years long, but with all we've had to do, in preparation for back-to-school, it's just whizzed by.

We got R.'s school supply list, and fortunately for me, I had most of the staples in the big school supply box we keep here in the house. Unfortunately for me, there was still a bunch more stuff left, and believe it or not, I had to go to THREE different stores to find some of 'em. Who knew that a nine-year-old needed THREE packs of index cards??? One of the other items was three packages of 3x3 Post-It's (I wondered if her teacher would make her take them back if they were, oh, say 2 1/2 x 2 1/2??? Geesh! Where DO they come up with this stuff???)

Anyway, while at Target, shopping for school clothes and the cherished Jonas Brothers CD/DVD combo (sold exclusively at Target, so stopping there for that priceless Christmas present was a MUST! Hey... I can't knock her though... I recall having quite the crush on my own set of teenybopper brothers back in my day, too! ;), I looked at their measely school supply section (guess the buyers there didn't get the memo that school's about to start????), and found Post-It's... for FOUR DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS for a package of three! Are they out of their freakin' minds???!!!! Of course I passed on them there, and headed to our local Dollar Tree when I was on my way back home. I found a generic 3-pack for a buck! Much more my style, thankyouverymuch.

So, her list is done, but I refuse to pack her off with some of the items on it. For example, what the HECK does she need with two boxes of 20 Ticonderoga pencils?? If there were 22 kids in her class this year, and each of them brought in 40 No. 2 pencils, that would be 880 pencils!! Are they building a dang LOG CABIN this year, or what?? I put a few sharpened pencils in her brand new pencil box, and kept the rest at home. If she needs more, I'll send them in with her.

We also went shopping around for school clothes... a MAJOR endeavor this year, considering all three of my children went through HUGE growth spurts this summer. My son is now over 5'11" (he's 13, almost 14); my oldest daughter is almost 4'11" (she's 9 3/4); and my little one's even sprouted. Not sure how tall she is, but she's gone from a 2T to a 4 or 5T in pants! Yikes!

So, another major chore this past week was to weed through clothes, to see what fit, what doesn't, and what can go to charity and what's just way beyond repair. I'm glad to say that not much of my daughter's late spring/early fall clothing is too small, even though I did buy her a few new (VERY cute!) outfits. You gotta have new clothes on the first day of school, right?

My son got some new clothes and undergarments, too. He tried his new stuff on, and the pants I got him are too big, but all the shirts fit fine. So, it's back to the store for me to return the pants and hopefully find them all in a smaller size. He won't need them right away, anyway... he wears shorts until the frost hits the grass in the mornings (the doofus!).

And, I've been picking up things here and there for my little one, too. She's got the nice beginning of a fall wardrobe going for her. I still have to pick up sneakers for her, but I wanted to wait until the very last minute, to make sure she doesn't grow anymore before I buy them! :)

Oh, and the haircuts came this week, too. I cut about two inches off of my oldest daughter's hair (to make it look fuller and less stringy), and I've started blowing it out after her showers, so it looks all straight and pretty again. And, I took my son to my girlfriend's hair salon today to get his hair cut. He DESPERATELY needed it -- his hair's so thick, and grows like a weed, so he looked a bit like a Neanderthal man! She also told him it was time for him to start shaving, and he agreed. My husband told him he'd show him how to use his electric razor. Sigh.

So... now that everything's purchased, their backpacks are full-up and sitting in the front hallway, ready to go, and their clothes will be finished up by this weekend, all I'll have left to do is to iron some things for next week (I always make sure that they look presentable for at least the first week of school. After that, all bets are off! :), load some film in the camera, and see them all off.

N. starts the 2nd (with his half day orientation at his new high school); R. starts the 4th, and S. starts the 23rd. Poor little thing is going to be wandering around the house, not knowing what to do with herself.

And I'll be enjoying the silence.

Ain't back to school grand? ;)

7 comments:

Erica said...

It's been fun seeing the "first day of school" photo's in blogs. I bet your kids will be cuties too. :D

I'm pretty happy I didn't have to shop for clothing just yet. Tuesday is coming FAST!!

Natalie said...

oh...as they all say..It is the most wonderful time of the year!!! I think that it is so crazy all the supplies that they need to...especially for Middle School. Sound like a fun time doing all the shopping...although your checkbook may not agree!

Mama C. said...

Nope... my checkbook is DEFINITELY moaning for mercy right now! :)

Did they do the same thing to you as they did to me for my middle schooler, Nat? Wait until school starts (and all the sales are over) to provide parents with the "list"? Not only did they do that here, but each teacher had their own freakin' LIST! Have you had to find a T-9 calculator yet?? Those run you back about $25 bucks!

The worst part is, I went NUTS trying to find some of the stuff on his list one year, and he brought half of it back, completely unused, at the end of the year! Made me CRAZY!!!

I will be taking pictures of all three on their first day, but I don't have a digital camera (just an archaic 35mm! ;) So, when the pics are developed, and I get the accompanying CD that I always get with it, I'll be happy to share pictures privately (via e-mail), if you guys would like to see 'em.

<3

C.

Natalie said...

oh yes...the calculator! Yep...I do not know if it is a T-9, but a scientific one and I swear, you need a college degree just to operate the stinkin thing! Thank heavens for a 20 page instruction manual right? I still had supply sales going on here when each teacher sent out their list...thank heavens!

Susy said...

You know I want to see those pix, by the way I need your address for the pen pal thing I zapped it oops... I am glad you are blogging again missed you! Have a great weekend before school starts!
Sus.

Kay said...

Why Jonas brothers? I guess I should check out a song of thiers...

Mama C. said...

OMGosh, Karyn! They're the hottest thing since... since... well, since the Osmond Brothers! I can't believe you don't know them!! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!! :)

They're all actually pretty darn cute, and they're pretty good, musically, too.

Definitely go check out their music... I'd be willing to bet you've already heard some of it, and you didn't know who sang it.

Go turn on Disney Radio for five seconds.. you're bound to hear one of their songs then! ;)