Back to School at WalMart

Well, it's back to school time. Did you get your supply list yet? I have 4 kids in school this year: kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade. I got their lists at registration (which, by the way, took over 2 hours) and when I saw them, BAM--instant headache! But I took a deep breath, lined them all up and made a Master List. This way I knew exactly how many of each item to buy, like 25 glue sticks. Then I waited until Brady (hubby) was home and the baby was asleep and headed out to Wal-Mart to get it over with. Now, at our house, my husband jokingly refers to WalMart as the 'Whore of Babylon' or 'The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil'--take your pick. And I usually roll my eyes, laugh, and make out my list, while he reminds me to be sure and take my hand sanitizer. But this time, he might have been right. I got there and they are out of yellow #2 pencils. What??! It is a week and a half before school starts and you are out of pencils?? What kind of a world is this? And I needed a lot of them. 77 to be exact. They were out of a lot of other items, too and everything seemed to be in different places. I just seemed to wander around in a fog. Then I noticed the other parents there and realized I wasn't the only one.

You could tell the parents because they were all staring bleary-eyed at their list. It's 10:00 at night and you could just feel the exhaustion. They would look up hesitantly from the list, blink a few times, and then reach out for what they wanted. BUT WAIT! Are those the more expensive PRANG watercolors that your teacher specifically asked for? Are you allowed to have that box of 64 crayons? Pointed or blunt tip? Wide ruled or college? Are you sure those pocket folders are supposed to have prongs? And I pity the fool who actually bought a Trapper Keeper. They'll be blacklisted for sure.

After several more trips to different stores, I got all the supplies and vowed that next year would be different! Remind me to read this post next year. And to remember that I have a relative who works at Office Depot!

In other news, my son Ethan had Pack Meeting last night at Rigby Lake. The kids had a great time, but my tummy was not liking all of the salad varieties I loaded up on. So about midnight, I'm in the bathroom thinking "Please don't let me throw up Cub Scout Hot Dog Potluck!" But of course I do. And I do not recommend it. Bleck!