Back-to-School Shopping

In years past I have always put off back to school shopping until August, after Ben's back from band camp. I just can't handle facing going back until I absolutely have to. But I have realized that waiting means that the shopping trip is rushed, stressful, crowded, and some of the stores are actually out of some stuff, or at least the selection of folder designs, etc. are pretty picked over. So this year we went early - a combination of those reasons plus going on a mini-vacation in August has made me want to get some of the back to school stuff done early.

This morning I took the kids to Target with lists in hand. Sam's list wasn't bad, but Maria's was a mile long. After a hour, we were able to get everything, including lunch boxes and a separate pair of gym shoes that each child needs for gym class, which stay at the school all year. What makes the trip so time consuming is the supplies each child needs that go to the classroom - like wipes, paper towels, band-aids, paper cups, Ziploc bags, etc. I have no problem donating these items, being a teacher myself I know how expensive it can be for a teacher to buy those things for herself. But it means that after we get all the the usual school supplies, we have to go all over the store to find the other stuff. Which isn't as fun to buy, and the kids have lost interest by then. But I will not go on the worst shopping trip of the year and not come home with everything - I want it done!

But the kids were really very good, the store was pretty empty, and we were able to get it all done. We also had Sam look at toys to come up with birthday ideas, which took forever. He was acting as if these decisions were life or death. I thought he would be asking for everything he saw and I wouldn't be able to keep up writing everything down, but the opposite was true - he couldn't decide on anything. It reminded me of shopping with my Mom and my sister when we were kids, and Wendy could never pick anything out. Finally Maria and I got so hungry for lunch we told him we were done and we could look on Amazon from home.

Back to school shopping is done. And we are $130 poorer!