It's Back to School time!!

It's almost time to send the kids off to school! I can't say I'm overly excited but I am ready. It has been a long summer. The kids I think are bored with me and really, they even say they are ready. Well Daniel says he'd like to stay home with me, lol.

I'm not so stressed about School Supplies either. Their lists aren't that intimidating this year...probably because I have enough supplies in my house to open my own office supply store. I haven't really had to buy anything so that probably helps. I still get annoyed when I see Ziploc baggies and paper towels on the list because I don't feel I should have to send those in. I know the younger kids use the baggies with their projects but I always see the older kid's teachers trying to find storage for their excess useless stash of supplies. And speaking of storage, do they really expect my kids to store 24 #2 pencils for the entire year? And with the classrooms as small as they are and now that our 5th grade is out in portables, do they really need 80 boxes of Kleenex on the first day of school?? (Think 20 kids x 4 boxes of Kleenex). I think I will use my Mommy Common Sense and adjust our supply list accordingly and send in what I think they will use right away and resupply as needed.

Michael's list isn't so bad, he pretty much has everything from last year. I'm a true believer in using it if it's still good. Why go out and spend money on new things when last year's is still in great shape (thank goodness his OCD kicks in when it comes to taking care of his stuff). The only questionable item on his list is the one box of Kleenex. Does he keep that in his already tiny locker, does he decide which teacher should have his coveted box of tissue or perhaps he should donate a few sheets to each of his eight classes.

My biggest issue this year has nothing to with supplies but the time change in when school starts. They are now starting a half hour later! This upsets me, it throws a huge monkey wrench in my scheduling. So many things I am involved in start at 8 a.m. So dropping my kids off at 7:30-7:45 was perfect. Now I have to adjust everything. I wish they would have let us have a say in this schedule change. Maybe they changed it to shorten the tardy line at school. Seriously, in the three years we have attended this school, I have always been amazed at the nonchalance when it comes to sauntering kids (who are often accompanied by slow paced parents) wandering into the school doors after the bell buzzes. Even on that note, I don't feel those of us who do get our kids to school on time should be punished.

Of course, since they start later, they now get out later meaning any after school activity will last longer. So now we will have to pick up our kids and compete with after work traffic. Who thought this up???

Oh well, I shouldn't complain, it is what it is.