Back to School

I am always amazed how early stores start putting out their seasonal items. Before Thanksgiving is over, Christmas stuff starts showing up everywhere. As soon as the Christmas stuff is off the shelves, Valentines are up. It is almost as if the stores control the seasons – not the seasons controlling the stores. The change of seasons is always exciting to me, but my favorite seasonal change is the back-to-school season. And right now, the school supplies are out! There is just something about school supplies lining the aisles at Wal-Mart that gives me a thrill. My kids will tell you that when the school supplies are set out, I just go crazy. I have been known to squeal with excitement. Tim the Toolmans’ snort is nothing compared to my snort when I see notebooks, pencils, folders…I am not sure what it is about these things, but I want to buy them all.

Back to school was always such a special time growing up. Mom and Dad took us kids to buy new clothes, and of course, school supplies letting us each pick out a new binder to carry all of our papers and pencils. Hmm, pencils! There is just nothing like a new Ticondaroga pencil in your hand with a fresh eraser on the end. The binder you chose made a statement on your personality – maybe you had one with a rock-star, or a puppy, or maybe just mod flowers. Of course, you got to buy scissors, glue, and Crayolas – snort! Picking out a new lunch box was exciting too. All of those supplies are great, but it is the paper that really turns me on. There is just something about having a clean white sheet of paper in front of you. I love loose-leaf paper, spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, and sketchpads – growl, snort! Then there are the boxes to put all your supplies in – pencil boxes, Crayola boxes, and other organizers. Organizers! I love the ones with calendars and address pages plus a few pages to just make notes or doodle. Special pens! I love picking out a new pen – normally I pick black ink with a roller ball tip, but sometimes I have to get some way-out color ink - like purple or pink – snort, snort.

Toby will tell you that I am the same way about art supplies. He cringes every time I tell him that I am going to Hobby Lobby or when I get a new Cheap Joe’s catalog. Because I supply my art students with all of their needs, I do get to buy lots of art stuff - snort - watercolor paper - snort. Toby says that if he dies first, he knows where all of his hard-earned money will go. It will go to my traveling and buying art supplies.

Alas, my kids are grown, and I do not need any school supplies. I can't wait till Lizzie is old enough for school. I have bought some crayons and a coloring book for her. But at two-years -old, she tends to break the crayons, put them in strange places, or just scrape them against her teeth. I don't think she is ready for scissors and glue. Yesterday, I walked through the school supplies at Wal-Mart and just drooled. Hmm, maybe some pencils…