What is it about shopping for new school supplies?

It seems that ever since school ended, my youngest child has been asking “when are we shopping for school supplies?” every single day  For the older kids, shopping for school supplies has definitely taken a slight back seat to shopping for cool new clothes but remains a much-anticipated activity even for them.

Yesterday evening my husband texted me at work…”When r u coming home?  Girls said u taking them shopping?”  I, of course, had forgotten the promise but promptly wrapped up work and heading home to fetch my darlings and that most important item — the list!  I know it seems a bit early to shop for supplies but I could not take the nightly questions and if I’m honest, some years there were pretty slim pickings when I finally broke down and took them to the local office supply store.  We spent a good hour combing through the aisles of folders and other supplies to find the absolute coolest ones.  Our final selections included BMX, hang-gliding and a backpack with skulls!

This year, my older daughter decided to be “super organized” by color coordinating binders and spiral notebooks and folders for specific classes.  She has been making decorations and doing craft projects like woven basket pencil holders and framing a small mirror for her locker all summer.  I wish I could express some “really?” but that behavior actually reminds me of, well, me.  And I love it!

And while it was tiresome and tedious to open every  single spiral bound notebook on the shelves in search of the one without perforated pages (as listed on the school supply list) I really shouldn’t complain.  I remember being just as impatient and excited and focused on finding the perfect binder when I was in school.  And the alternative is far too painful to contemplate.