Beyond Christmas, or my birthday, or even St. Patrick's day, there are 2 days coming up that are probably my absolute favorite days of the year. It is Back-To-School time!!! Can you hear Moms across the world rejoicing? It's not that we don't love our cherubs. It's not that we haven't had fabulous summers full of fighting over Wii remotes and who used their brother's toothbrush. It's not even that we have been dragging kids around in 100 degree heat to things we thought would entertain them, but they deem boring. It's just that it is back to routine, consistency, and kids at school!
Today is the day that kicks it all off. School Supply Shopping Day! There is just something so exhilarating about buying all new stuff for school. I'm not sure the Goombas share in my joy over this blessed day, but they know that it makes Mommy giddy, and that is good enough for them. New crayons, sharp pencils with no eaten erasers, glue sticks, shiny sharp scissors...it's all so magical!
I just love how my friend, the Amazing Ms. B, describes the thrill of new school supplies:
"I get giddy when I see bins of glue sticks and crayons. I literally cannot pass by a twenty-five cent box of crayons without buying several unneeded boxes, which I did yesterday. What a deal!!! I secretly open the boxes and admire the unmarred crayon tips, and take a deep satisfying sniff of the childhood smell. I buy erasers and rub them between my fingers. I put new colorful pencil tip erasers on all of the pencils that I can find in the house, and send extras for my kids for when their erasers run down. My daughter adds colorful erasers with glee and packs them into her pencil bag carefully. That's my girl.
And oh the pencils!!! Ok, really, this is what it all comes down to for me. The pencils. Between my kids they required 60 pencils for their school year. SHARPENED! I love nothing more than sharpening pencils. I listen happily to the sound of grinding wood as I happily sharpen, sharpen, sharpen. After each pencil I test the lead tip to make sure it won't break and then, and THEN, I smell them. Each newly sharpened pencil is a fresh scent of delight!"
You are so very right, Ms. B. I really think Yankee Candle and Crayola should join forces so we can have fresh Crayola and sharpened pencil smell whenever we want.
The real fun for me comes when we get home, though. I love---I mean, the Goombas love to open the stuff and arrange it all neatly in their art boxes. I get such---oops, THEY get such joy out of labeling folders and large pink erasers. Then I--ha ha, again, I meant WE, pack it all ever so neatly into the backpacks and set them on the counter to await my next favorite day of the year....
The First Day of School! In the words of the great Lewis Carroll, "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" My love for the First Day of School started when I was young. I was one of those total nerds that looked forward to and was excited about going back to school every year. I used to wake up early, get dressed in my awesome new clothes and skip out the door. Now the excitement is a little bit different. Instead of new clothes and a hearty breakfast, it is my "nice" sweat pants and a margarita in my coffee mug as I skip out the door.
Although only Mario has been in school so far, this year Luigi will be starting preschool. He is so thrilled! Two first days for us this year. I'll admit, I get a little sentimental when I bring them to their classroom and say good-bye, but that usually goes away once I get home and realize that I have just a tiny bit more freedom to get something done. With only one Goomba hanging on my leg 3 mornings a week, I just might get a project or two accomplished.
And so the countdown is on. Two weeks till school starts. We are going to cram the fun in as much as we can over the next couple of weeks. Since we start school on a Thursday, we will have "practice runs" Monday - Wednesday of that week. I will iron uniforms with glee and gladly take Luigi shopping for a non-Thomas shirt. We will buy lots of delicious (but, of course totally cool) food for packing in lunch boxes. We will go to Family Nights, meet teachers, check out classrooms and then, before we know it...it will be here!!!
So, to all you Moms out there anxiously awaiting that most sacred day of the year...Cheers to you! You made it through another summer! Enjoy your supply shopping and back to school prep. I'll see you mid-August for a breakfast margarita soon!
Cheers!
~Daisy
No comments:
Post a Comment