Went to Hades Shopping for School Supplies

Not on purpose. I always start with a fabulously optimistic attitude. They're going back to school, for Pete's sake (and who is Pete?). It's a wonderful occasion.

I. Can't. Wait.

So, we head off to the store. I have the list. I'm ready. I did it last year. And the year before that. And the year before that....... It wasn't that bad. Hah! Who am I kidding? Here's the list, combined. Items for a second grader and a fourth grader.

• 1 old sock
• 2 boxes Crayola colored pencils - 12 ct.
• 1 box Crayola crayons - 24 ct.
• Crayola Fine Markers - classic
• 2 containers disinfectant wipes - Lysol
• 1 dry board eraser
• 3 boxes Expo dry erase markers - wide
• 2 pink erasers
• Folders-bottom pockets/brads - 1 red, 1 blue
• Folders-plastic/no brads - 1 each; yellow, red, green, blue, purple
• 1 8oz Elmers glue
• 4 large Elmers glue sticks
• 2 different color highlighters (for the 4th grader)
• highlighters multi pack (for the 2nd grader)
• 4 boxes of kleenex
• 5 Mead composition books
• 1 pkg notebook paper - wide rule
• 1 Steno notebook - 6x9
• 1" 3 ring view finder binder
• 1 1/2" 3 ring view finder binder
• Notebook dividers with tabs - 1 pkg of 5
• 2 black or blue pens
• 6 dozen #2 Dixon sharpened pencils
• 1 pencil bag
• 3 pkgs 3x3 50 ct post its
• 1 ruler - 12" metric and standard
• 2 pairs pointed fiskars scissors
• 2 Sharpie marker - fine pt black
• 1 spiral notebook - wide rule
• 1 box Ziploc bags - gallon zipper
• 1 box Ziploc bags - sandwich

Don't you love how specific they are? I'm now remembering some rant I had last year. On FB I think? I remember shopping for school supplies when I was a kid. One thing of paints, a box of crayons and a notebook. In middle school, we needed a few colored folders. In high school, it wasn't much more. I think this shopping list is ridiculous. I couldn't get it all, and it cost me $100.

But, I'm digressing. The list itself is not what makes me insane. It's the stinking store and how badly they have it all arranged. First snag came with the colored pencils. No Crayola 12 ct. So, too bad! I'm sending Rose. Lysol wipes, have to get them somewhere else, along with the kleenex and the ziploc bags. Dry board erasers are sold out. Can't find pink erasers....oh - there they are. In a 6 pack. We only need 2. I'll have 4 floating around my house or cluttering up my newly reorganized junk drawer. Highlighters come in pkgs of a minimum of three. So, we get an extra one of those too. Here's my biggest beef with the store. We have a specific list of folders and notebooks. Paper is in one place, notebooks are in another, folders are in a big fat nightmare of a mess and other things like notebook dividers and a steno are nowhere to be found. All of the plastic folders are gone except for purple. Some have pockets with brads, or pockets without brads, or no pockets and brads. The shelves are over-flowing with the fancy folders, pictures and junk. We don't need those! But there's 5 million of them and the plastic solid color folders are gone. Get a clue Target!!! Same with notebooks. Five million notebooks with stupid pictures on them. The black composition books are with the school supplies, but the colored ones are in the office supplies, along with the notebook dividers and the steno. Wait...there isn't a steno there, either. Couldn't find a single steno. Sassy is crying because she wants school supplies too. The boys keep saying sentences starting with, "What about..." "Don't forget that I need..." "Mom, can I have...."

Note to self...next year - pay for the stinking pre-assembled pack of school supplies. Save yourself the headache.

P.S. -- can't get this puppy house trained. She's killing me, people!!! Killing me! I shampooed the carpet today, to start with a fresh slate. She went on a walk with Will, pee'd on the walk. Pee'd outside. Proceeded to come inside and pee on the freshly cleaned carpet. I'm tearing my hair out. And what will Landee say about it today, I wonder. Hmmmmm.... lay it on me girlie. I'm ready.