It's the First Day of School!!!!!!!!

First day of school! First day of school!!!!!! Woooohoooooooooooo! It's the first day of school!!!!!!

Pardon me, I'm a little excited. You should have seen the look I got from Z2 this morning when I turned on the CD player and it blared out "The Hallelujah Chorus".

Yes. I. DID.

Played it all the way to school and all the way to work.

I'm just not one of those moms who cries on the first day of school. Maybe I will some day in the future, but not today! Had it not been for the heavens opening and me having a weekend to myself, I don't know that we would have made it to today. And although it's been a busy day (I started a new job- more on that in another post) I cannot tell you how good it feels to know they are going to come home dog-tired and no energy left to aggravate each other.

That alone makes me give thanks.

Yours, grateful to have made it through yet another summer without bloodshed and the tearing off of limbs,

Melissa

What Happened to the Box of Big Crayons?

Remember when you were a kid and on the first day of elementary school you would get some fresh paper and a new box or those fat crayons? They were brand new and I loved the way they felt on my hands. A whole new year with fresh crayons and blank paper. It felt like anything was possible.

Last night, I FINALLY, after three trips, finished the school supply shopping. I'm not talking about clothes or shoes or backpacks. I'm talking about a specific list about 25 items long. Specific as in : An orange two pocket folder, no prongs. A CLEAR, plastic protractor, no arm, please.

Add to that, the fact that everyone else is searching for the SAME 25 items (multiplied by the number of children in your family) and it can get a little tense at your local Wal-mart or Target. You do not even want to hear about the people I encountered on Sunday when I was trying to get a lot of the shopping finished.

I love that my children will have all they need to learn, but when did we start needing so much? I just wonder why my 2nd grader needs how many permanent markers? A fine-tip red marker? Sharpies? Really? Is it just me or does everyone else have this kind of list where it costs you $40-$60 in supplies? Just wondering. . .

Would love to hear what other school districts are like. Please, let me hear from you.

Yours, longing for a new box of eight, fat crayons and some blank paper,

Melissa