Aaaaaahhhhhhh. Can you smell it in the air? No? Why should you be able to? I guess that's true, there isn't really any specific smell in the air, but nevertheless, one of my favorite seasons has returned. Its a season I wait for impatiently pretty much as soon as Christmas is over, and it really only does come once a year........
Back to school. Do I love it because school is about to start again? No. Is it because I think my kids will get better nutrition from their cardboard school lunches than I can give them at home? Absolutely not. In fact...it has nothing at all to do with school, except for that little list they send you of what your kids need to bring to school. And really, it doesn't even have much to do with that, except for that retailers all over the US are slashing prices on the things on that list...
School supplies...That's right folks, I LOVE shopping for school supplies. There is no other time of year...not anywhere, not anytime, that you can find the treasures you can find during this time of year. Not at Christmas, not during the after Christmas clearance, and not even at a going out of business sale. Let me just share some of the joy I am feeling. 24 count box of crayons...ten cents! Bottle of school glue (4oz)...fifteen cents! Spiral notebooks...ten cents! Notebook paper...fifty cents! Glue sticks (package of 2) twenty cents! Composition books...fifty cents! And more, the list goes on...Markers, colored pencils, erasers, rulers, pencils, pens, binders, staplers, sharpie pens, pencil grips, pencil sharpeners, pencil boxes (may as well include the entire family of pencils and accessories). Its ALL on sale.
Now you may all be thinking that its not the school supplies that I love, but the getting a good deal, and you would be WRONG! I love getting a good deal as much as the next person, more maybe, but I LOVE school and office supplies. I pass through that section of the store regularly, even when I am shopping in a hurry, and I gaze longingly at the colorful markers and crayons; the pencils waiting to be sharpened; the crisp, clean paper waiting to be filled with creativity; even the things that I already have and will probably never need to buy again like the staplers and the hole punches. I dream of having a walk in closet full of various office supplies, nicely organized with shelving and a pegboard wall. You may think that I am exaggerating, or embellishing this for the sake of my blog, but you would be mistaken. If anything I would like an entire room of office supplies, but somehow a walk in closet sounds more cozy. If there were a contest and the prize was a vault full of office supplies, I would jump at the chance to enter, and I would pay the shipping and handling fees to have it all brought to me if I won.
Now you might be wondering...what is so special about school supplies? Is it a reminder of the more innocent and wonderful days of childhood? Is it the smell of the wax in the crayons? Is it all the pretty colors? Is it all of the creativity that can come from those supplies? Is it some disturbing family illness? (this one might have some merit since I know that my Mom and at least one of my sisters share my love of office supplies). I have to say...Heck if I know! All I really know is that there is nothing like a brand new box of crayons, an unsullied stack of index cards, a pencil with a cap eraser on the end... And this is the only time of year I can feed my addiction without batting an eyelash! I felt no shame as I stacked my 20+ boxes of crayons on the belt at WalMart yesterday. I didn't care if the checker thought I had 20 kids to get school supplies for, or if she thought I was a teacher, or if she thought I was going to make a really big candle out of them! I didn't even care if she thought I was going to sell them on the black market! I was just happy to get my office supplies. The crayons, the pens, the markers, everything. It felt GOOD. Now, will 20 boxes of crayons last me a year? I do have five children, so the answer is, probably not. They may not even last me 6 months...I think I may have to go back for more before the prices go up!
Back to school. Do I love it because school is about to start again? No. Is it because I think my kids will get better nutrition from their cardboard school lunches than I can give them at home? Absolutely not. In fact...it has nothing at all to do with school, except for that little list they send you of what your kids need to bring to school. And really, it doesn't even have much to do with that, except for that retailers all over the US are slashing prices on the things on that list...
School supplies...That's right folks, I LOVE shopping for school supplies. There is no other time of year...not anywhere, not anytime, that you can find the treasures you can find during this time of year. Not at Christmas, not during the after Christmas clearance, and not even at a going out of business sale. Let me just share some of the joy I am feeling. 24 count box of crayons...ten cents! Bottle of school glue (4oz)...fifteen cents! Spiral notebooks...ten cents! Notebook paper...fifty cents! Glue sticks (package of 2) twenty cents! Composition books...fifty cents! And more, the list goes on...Markers, colored pencils, erasers, rulers, pencils, pens, binders, staplers, sharpie pens, pencil grips, pencil sharpeners, pencil boxes (may as well include the entire family of pencils and accessories). Its ALL on sale.
Now you may all be thinking that its not the school supplies that I love, but the getting a good deal, and you would be WRONG! I love getting a good deal as much as the next person, more maybe, but I LOVE school and office supplies. I pass through that section of the store regularly, even when I am shopping in a hurry, and I gaze longingly at the colorful markers and crayons; the pencils waiting to be sharpened; the crisp, clean paper waiting to be filled with creativity; even the things that I already have and will probably never need to buy again like the staplers and the hole punches. I dream of having a walk in closet full of various office supplies, nicely organized with shelving and a pegboard wall. You may think that I am exaggerating, or embellishing this for the sake of my blog, but you would be mistaken. If anything I would like an entire room of office supplies, but somehow a walk in closet sounds more cozy. If there were a contest and the prize was a vault full of office supplies, I would jump at the chance to enter, and I would pay the shipping and handling fees to have it all brought to me if I won.
Now you might be wondering...what is so special about school supplies? Is it a reminder of the more innocent and wonderful days of childhood? Is it the smell of the wax in the crayons? Is it all the pretty colors? Is it all of the creativity that can come from those supplies? Is it some disturbing family illness? (this one might have some merit since I know that my Mom and at least one of my sisters share my love of office supplies). I have to say...Heck if I know! All I really know is that there is nothing like a brand new box of crayons, an unsullied stack of index cards, a pencil with a cap eraser on the end... And this is the only time of year I can feed my addiction without batting an eyelash! I felt no shame as I stacked my 20+ boxes of crayons on the belt at WalMart yesterday. I didn't care if the checker thought I had 20 kids to get school supplies for, or if she thought I was a teacher, or if she thought I was going to make a really big candle out of them! I didn't even care if she thought I was going to sell them on the black market! I was just happy to get my office supplies. The crayons, the pens, the markers, everything. It felt GOOD. Now, will 20 boxes of crayons last me a year? I do have five children, so the answer is, probably not. They may not even last me 6 months...I think I may have to go back for more before the prices go up!
5 comments:
Where can I get crayons for 10 cents! Where!?
I think I need to take you out more. dh
Yes, I understand! I stocked up on glue sticks, glue, crayons, paper.... It is a good feeling.
However, this wonderful season does have its downside - competition. Those people who are out there simply for the good deals are silently waiting in the aisles, watching as you make your way to the school supplies. Then, at the last minute, they jump out and grab the last ruler! Curses! Don't they know what utter delight we get from picking up that wonderful tool? I think the key is to fool them into thinking you're just out to get a couple erasers, then sneak in at the end and fill your cart with the good stuff.
It's so fulfilling to be able to hand a kid a package of notebook paper or a spiral, folder, pencils or pens when they come to you needing these things, and NOT have to run to the store and pay full price for them!
What! ME a KID! I think I'm insulted mom! Insulted! Uh...by the way I need some new spirals for school... :D
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