School supply lists

While we were on our hunt for pencil cap erasers, I paused to grabbed the school supply lists for our two local schools. No, I don't intend to enroll Kiddo in public school, I was curious none-the-less. None of the items on the list seem awful, though I imagine if you have to buy everything on the list it would not be trivial.

There are many preferences stated on the list, from what brand markers (Cr*yola preferred) to what color spiral notebooks (1 green, 1 red, 1 blue). Of the 19 items on the 1st and 2nd grade list, 10 of them are "collected and shared within the classroom." Though I am not sure that the zipper baggies are not on that list, too, since A-L brings the gallon freezer size and M-Z brings the sandwich size. I guess I see the logic, sort of. But it takes so much of the fun out of shopping for school supplies. Unless, of course, you don't like shopping for school supplies, then it might put some fun back in. Or if you have exceptionally indecisive children, then a very specific list is good.

Any way, I started reading the list to Kiddo, who was baffled by the very idea of a school supply list. I had to explain that if he was going to public school, these would be the things he would have to have. When he got that panicked look in his eyes, I assured him that he wasn't going to public school. He was relieved--glad he likes what we are doing! So back to the list we went. Colored pencils--he was good with that, he loves his colored pencils, though he would not like being limited to 10 to 16. Crayons--this is where they lost him (mind you, this was the second item). "Why? I don't like crayons." It is true. He has never really liked crayons. He prefers his colored pencils. Then he asked "Wait, crayons or markers?" When I replied that they needed to have both, he was again lost. "But I don't like either of them. I only use colored pencils." Again, true. Unless I specifically tell him to use one of the others, or there is nothing else available, he doesn't use them.

My response? "Well, good thing you don't have to worry about it." Which made him smile. And me? I am glad I don't have to worry about which brand of glue sticks I bought...

School Supply Shopping

I don't usually go school supply shopping until everything hits clearance. Unless of course I know I need something, and I can hit a great sale. Or I am buying for a school supply drive. That is an entirely different story. In general, there isn't anything I need that badly, or I need something very specific (like Prang brand colored pencils, or Elmer's blue gel glue--which is cheaper at Rainbow Resource than my local T*rget. Go figure!) But as we have been moving forward with school this summer, we have run across the need for a couple of items. Binders, mostly, for science, history, and geography. So this morning, we made a list. Kiddo is very anxious to have his things in one place, you see, so no waiting a week or two for clearance. Besides, by then they might not have what we need. They are already out of composition notebooks, after all!

What an exercise in frustration! I had three items on my list. 3! They were entirely out of pencil cap erasers--mind you, school hasn't even started yet. I had to hunt high and low for a decent package of just ordinary mechanical pencils (for me, not the kids), and the binders were in no particular order anymore, so price checking was a must! There were a few others milling about the area, and abandoning carts in aisle-blocking places, which made things a bit trickier. We bought binders. We bought pencils (found in a completely random location not in the school supplies and all by themselves. They were meant to be mine!). Then we headed down the way to see if OfficeM*x had any pencil cap erasers--cause the eraser on the pencil will be gone LONG before the pencil!

MORE FRUSTRATION! for the longest time, all we could find was a tub pencil cap erasers, regular erasers, and pencil grips. I don't want pencil grips! I don't even want 6 regular erasers! I just want a package of regular old pencil cap erasers! We hunted and hunted and hunted (because the place was as busy as I have ever seen it...no one to even ask). Finally Kutey said she thought she saw some "arrow erasers," so we followed her. It was the same tub, but below it on the other (back) side of the kiosk, in the very. bottom. bin. were PENCIL CAP ERASERS! YAY! We grabbed a pack (probably should have grabbed more, but hey, at least we have enough for a few months!).

While we were milling about, however, I saw this:


for $8. A double sided white board and six WASHABLE dry erase markers. I have been reading about the washable markers, and wanted to give them a try. They were selling the markers alone for $12. Why would I buy that? Not that I need another board, but for $4 less than the markers alone, I'll take another board! If I like the markers, I may go back and get another one--so each kid would have their own board...

Did you get everything on your school supply list?